


Until We Meet Again

by LawBringerSSV2, wolfb0y



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Heartbreak, Implied Relationships, Loss, Pining, Smut, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-04-17 15:47:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 34,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14192400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawBringerSSV2/pseuds/LawBringerSSV2, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfb0y/pseuds/wolfb0y
Summary: The low hum of the air conditioning unit in the room made for some decent white noise, allowing Yang’s mind to roam back to her days at Beacon Academy. She'd never expected things to turn out the way that they had. Then again, even if she were to go back and tell her former self where she would be now, she would have laughed in her own face. Fate was a cruel mistress.





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LawBringerSSV2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawBringerSSV2/gifts).



> this one is for my home slice, who allowed me to adopt this idea and bring it to life. without you, none of this would be possible.

    Yang walked at a languid pace down the hallway of the hotel where she was staying for her sister’s wedding. She couldn’t wait to get back to her room and collapse into bed. The entire celebration had gone perfectly, but had left her rather exhausted. Despite the feeling that her mind was completely worn-out from the festivities of the day, the blonde replayed her favorite moments in her head. The cutting of the cake was hilarious. As usual, Ruby couldn’t wait to dig into the sweets. Their first dance was something she would never forget. Weiss practically carried Ruby through all of the steps while still maintaining her trademark graceful and poised manner. Perhaps the most memorable part of the ceremony, though, was watching her younger sister exchange her vows with Weiss. Granted it was definitely something Yang never thought she’d live to see—And the brawler had figured she’d sooner witness pigs fly—it was beautiful. The raw emotions behind their words and the looks that they shared with one another throughout the night had stirred something within Yang that she hadn’t felt in a long time.

    The brawler couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly it was, but it was bittersweet to say the least. She came to a stop at the door marked with her room number and unlocked it with the holographic key she’d received the day earlier upon checking in. Her fingers closed around the door handle and she turned it slowly, taking care to make as little noise as possible. Yang had booked a room with Sun Wukong and his daughter, as the two of them had become rather significant to her over the past years. They’d left the wedding a bit earlier than she had on account of the little one becoming sleepy. Sun had taken her back to the hotel and sure enough, the pair were sleeping soundly as Yang crept into the dim room. The door clicked shut softly behind her and she pulled off the heels that she had been forced to endure wearing for the majority of the day.

    It was uncharacteristic of the brawler to dress so… Well, for lack of a better word, _frilly._ However, Ruby had asked her to be the maid of honor on her special day. That was something Yang could not turn down, even if it meant being stuffed into a dress and having to learn how to balance on shoes that were _not_ combat boots. As she set the offending shoes to the side of the entryway, Yang approached the edge of her bed. The blonde was about to begin peeling the gown off of her body when her eyes fell upon the sleeping pair of faunus. Sun was still adorning a dress shirt, but it had been pulled loose from his slacks and his bow tie was sitting on the nightstand beside the bed. It looked like he hadn’t intended on falling asleep alongside his daughter, who slept peacefully beside him. Ember’s eyelids fluttered every so often as she appeared to be dreaming. Her long, sandy-colored tresses were hanging in her face and her cat ears twitched with every breath that left her lips. The girl was already turning out to be a spitting image of Blake, save for the blonde hair and ears.  
  
    Yang moved to the other side of the room, drawing the curtains shut so that the sunlight wouldn’t disturb them in the morning. As she moved back toward her bed, she couldn’t help but give a double take at the two of the faunus. There it was again; That feeling that had accompanied her throughout the entirety of her sister’s big day. She didn’t bother taking off the dress as she climbed onto her bed, rolling onto her back and staring at the ceiling. The low hum of the air conditioning unit in the room made for some decent white noise, allowing Yang’s mind to roam back to her days at Beacon Academy.

* * *

    “Yang!” The shrill sound of Weiss’ nagging voice pulled the brawler from her sleep.  
  
    Bleary lilac eyes blinked open and the blonde slowly sat up. She was on the couch, which must have meant that she’d fallen asleep watching another one of Ruby’s favorite shows. Yang had tried to make a habit out of spending more time with her sister, but sometimes the material that Ruby subjected her to was excruciating. The older sister could spend hours on end playing fighting games and destroying Ruby at them, but she could rarely stay awake for the entire duration of Ruby’s beloved shows. Somehow she had stumbled across a show about cyborg karate masters that fought crime while trying to live among humans. While Ruby had quickly grown infatuated with the show, Yang had only developed a mere tolerance for it. Spending time with her sister meant a lot to her, though, so she always tried her best to at least feign interest.  
  
    This time she had clearly fallen short. Ruby wasn’t anywhere to be found and Yang was sprawled out, taking up most of the sofa. Weiss stood over her with her arms folded and a scowl on her mug. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, really. Yang rubbed at her eyes and gave a yawn before stretching her arms and back. As the blonde attempted to wake herself up, Weiss glared at her expectantly. The brawler finally looked back at her and lifted her eyebrows.  
  
   “What time is it?” Yang asked, looking past the white-haired girl and toward the television, which had long since been turned off.

   “For your information, it is approximately 6:47 PM.” Weiss said in a displeased fashion, “That means—”

   “Okay. So, what’re we doing for dinner?” Yang wanted to know as she swept her legs over the side of the couch, her arms coming to rest beside her.

   “Well, considering the fact that Ruby is sparring with Jaune and Blake is going on a date, I would say that leaves it up to you and I. However, I—”

   Yang tilted her head slightly as she cut off her teammate, “Blake is going on a date?”

   “Yes. Now, if you could please—”

   “With who?” The brawler demanded, standing up and looking down the hall.

   The door to the bathroom was closed. Blake was probably getting ready. How come she didn’t tell her she was going on a date? They usually told each other more than they shared with Weiss and Ruby, with the exception of Ruby and Yang being sisters. Yang was shocked to say the least. Not only that, but it also somewhat irritated her.  
  
    “The boy with the blonde hair and the blue eyes that sits a few rows behind us in Professor Port’s class… I can’t remember his name.” Weiss looked toward the ceiling as she tried to recall what his name could be before her eyes snapped back to Yang, “And stop interrupting me. It’s _rude._ ”

   Yang was about to open her mouth and argue when the bathroom door opened at the end of the hall. Blake was wearing a rather casual outfit and had her hair done the same way as she always did. Seeing that she hadn’t gotten dolled up filled Yang with an odd sense of comfort. She smiled at Blake, who returned her signature half-smile as she walked down the hallway.

   “I’m heading out. I shouldn’t be out too late.” Blake told them.

   “Where ya goin’?” Yang asked, as if she didn’t already know.

   Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Weiss scowling at her. The Ice Queen’s stare pierced through her like daggers. Having grown accustomed to ignoring the white-haired girl’s methods, Yang kept her attention on Blake as the faunus brushed her fingers through some of her hair.

   “Out with Cadet Calamansi, from Port’s class.” She said, pulling out her Scroll and beginning to type, “That’s him now. I’ll be back later.”

   Blake tucked her Scroll into her pocket and left the dormitory. Yang folded her arms and sat back down on the couch. The blonde kicked her feet up onto the coffee table, scowling as she sank into the cushions. Weiss continued to stand there and glare at her. Sometimes Yang swore that Weiss acted more like a mom to her than her own mother.

   “Cadet Calamansi… What a stupid name.” The brawler muttered to herself, reaching for the remote.

   Weiss grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her with the remote control just out of her grasp. Yang turned to her with an annoyed expression plastered to her face, while Weiss’ scowl only seemed to twist further. The blonde never ceased to be amazed at just how displeased the Schnee girl could make herself look. If showcasing disgust and discontent was ever a competitive sport, Weiss Schnee would be the reigning champion.

   “What?” Yang demanded.

   “First of all,” Weiss began, “I came to watch my show. But you were hogging the couch. Now, though, I can see that my intervention is needed.”

   “Intervention?” The taller girl asked in an exaggerated tone.

   “Precisely.” The heiress huffed, “Yang. You need to do something.”

   Yang resisted the urge to get up and run from the room; She knew what was coming. Weiss wasn’t an idiot. If anyone knew how to read a social situation, it was the Schnee girl. She had spent years in an environment that demanded her to be able to read any kind of social situation to react accordingly. There was no getting out of this one. Still, she could try to bullshit her way out of it. That was always a great last line of defense.

   “What are you talking about?”

   Weiss looked like she wanted to wring her teammate’s neck. Yang was _almost_ entertained by her expression. _Almost._ Weiss released her wrist and took the remote to the television before she could. The smaller girl sat down beside her and smoothed out her skirt, taking a deep breath.

   “You don’t have to pretend like you don’t know what I’m talking about, Yang. It’s just you and I.” Weiss started, “And I’m starting to feel like I’ve refrained from saying anything for _too_ long.”

   Yang wanted to try to play the clueless card again, but she couldn’t find it in herself. The brawler felt like a cornered animal. In any other situation where she felt this way, she would just punch her way out. Everything would turn red and before she knew it, things would be back to normal. There was no punching her way out of this situation. Something about that was more frightening than any opponent she had ever faced. The blonde drew in a long breath through her nose as Weiss’ gaze remained fixed on her.

   “I see the way you look at her… To be fair, though, I _do_ think that anyone with eyes could see it, too.” Weiss snickered, prompting Yang to give her a slight push with her shoulder.

   The blonde shook her head a bit, “Yeah, yeah.”

   “I’d advise you to stop brushing it off, Yang.” Weiss said.

   Somewhere in her voice, Yang detected a hint of what seemed like genuine concern. She finally brought her gaze up to meet Weiss’. Icy blue eyes were riveted to hers and the blonde felt like her friend was staring directly into her soul. Yang cleared her throat a bit.

   “It would just be problematic… We room together, we train together, we fight together… People on teams shouldn’t date, Weiss. That’d be, like, a complete recipe for disaster. The last thing I want is to put any one of us under stress.” Yang explained as she tore her eyes away from Weiss’ and trained her attention toward the floor.

   “Yang, the least you could do is discuss it with her. You’ll never know what you’re missing if you don’t give it a shot.” The white-haired girl attempted to encourage her.

   “Exactly! I’ll never know if I don’t try. Never try, never fail, right?” Yang said as she got to her feet.

   In a fraction of a second, Weiss’ fingers were wrapped around Yang’s wrist again. She yanked her back onto the couch and gave her a small swat on the arm. The brawler favored her arm away from her teammate and glared at her.

   “This is so unlike you, Yang. You normally don’t have any issue speaking your mind.” Weiss observed, thinking for a moment, “You’re scared that she doesn’t feel the same, aren’t you? You don’t care that the two of you are on the same team! You just don’t want her to turn you down!”

   Yang turned her head in the other direction, “No. I really think that dating someone on your team is stupid. That would be like if you dated Ruby. Don’t you know what a mess that would be?”

   “Ruby and I would never—That’s not what we’re discussing!” Weiss stammered, her hands balling into fists.

   “I’m serious! Think about it, Weiss. If you and—”

   “You’ve cut me off enough! Now it’s my turn!” The heiress announced, standing up and jabbing a finger at Yang, “You’re being such a dolt! Stop being so proud and admit that you’re afraid that Blake will turn you down! There’s nothing wrong with admitting it.”

   “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” The brawler grumbled as she got up and tried to walk away.

   Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a small shake, “Hello? Yang! Are you blind, or are you just an idiot? In case you haven’t noticed—unlike the rest of us—I’m almost certain Blake’s feelings are mutual! How can you be so… So… Dense?!”

   Yang stopped, feeling as though maybe she should give some consideration to what Weiss had said. Was it true? Did Blake look at her the same way that she did? How come she hadn’t noticed? If most of her attention was trained to Blake anyway, shouldn’t she have been the _first_ to see it? The blonde turned around and let out a sigh. Yang’s shoulders slouched a bit as Weiss dropped her hands at her sides. It wasn’t long before they returned to their usual spot, crossed in front of her.

   “Why are you so afraid of talking to her, Yang? She’s your best friend.” Weiss reminded her, her voice now much calmer and collected than moments before.

   “ _That’s_ why. That’s the problem, Weiss. Blake is my best friend. If I mess that up, then what happens? She’d never be able to look at me the same.” Yang told her.

   Weiss lifted a brow at her, a skeptical expression crossing her face, “Do you honestly think that’s how Blake would react? You know her better than any of us, but even I know that isn’t the type of person she is.”

   Yang opened her mouth to give her response, but Weiss beat her to the punch, “We can sit here and argue all day, but that isn’t going to change anything. If you don’t say something, she’s going to get tired of waiting and find someone who won’t sit on their hands.”

   As much as Yang hated to hear it, she needed to. It was the truth. Blake certainly wouldn’t be the one to make the first move. If Yang wanted anything to happen, she was going to have to take the reigns. The brawler secretly hated the fact that Weiss was so aware of every aspect of the situation. It was kind of scary, but strangely comforting to know that she could be the voice of reason because of it. Yang gave a small nod.

   “Okay… Just give me some time to think on it, alright?” She finally said.  
  
   Weiss turned her chin upward a bit, giving Yang a once-over, “Don’t disappoint me. And more importantly, don’t disappoint _her._ ”


	2. II.

    “I’ll be back by ten,” Blake told the rest of her team as she shut the door behind her.  
  
    Immediately after it closed, Ruby leapt off of the couch, “Pizza for dinner! Without sardines!”  
  
    “Actually, I was thinking we could go down to that great restaurant in Vale with the really good coffee. You remember the one Coco was talking about?” Weiss asked as she got up from the sofa as well.  
  
    “I don’t really feel like going out.” Yang said solemnly, rising from the table and beginning to head for her room.  
  
    “I could always go pick up a pizza! And Weiss could come with me!” Ruby offered as she threw an arm around Weiss’ shoulders.  
  
    The white-haired girl visibly tensed as she slowly pushed Ruby’s arm off of her, “I don’t want to walk all the way to the pizza shop.”  
  
    “Maybe Yang will let us—”  
  
    “Absolutely not.” Yang said, shooting down the idea of the girls taking Bumblebee out.  
  
    Ruby frowned and looked at Weiss. The heiress let out a sigh and thought for a moment. Yang had already slipped into their shared room, heading for bed. This had become the typical routine on the evenings that Blake was in the company of someone other than that of her teammates. After she left, Yang would sulk and occasionally head down to the training room to unleash her feelings on a punching bag. Ruby would bite her tongue. She knew how stubborn Yang could be about opening up and she didn’t want to push her further. On the other hand, Weiss would dish out sideways glances and do everything in her power to see if she could get Yang to break and speak up. It was more than obvious that this was eating Yang alive.  
  
    Not just Yang, either. Over the past few weeks, it had been starting to take a toll on Blake. The two had grown noticeably distant and the fact that Blake was handling it by going on a series of different dates wasn’t exactly helping. Yang had tried everything in her power to ignore the foul taste in her mouth whenever Blake announced that she would be heading out. It was becoming increasingly harder to avoid it. Ruby had attempted to plan several team bonding events and group activities to see if it would help mend things, but there was always something that came up. Blake would go on a date, Yang would make an excuse to avoid it, and Ruby and Weiss would be left alone to figure out what to do. They’d even finished Ruby’s beloved cyborg kung fu series due to the free time that was leftover from the other half of the team cancelling on them. Despite all of the negatives, Yang was happy to see that in the midst of her and Blake’s distancing, at least Ruby and Weiss had gotten an opportunity to be closer.  
  
    “Ruby,” Weiss said as she turned to the dark-haired girl.  
  
    “Hm?”  
  
    “Why don’t you go get us a pizza? I’ll give you my card, you can pick it up, and I’ll talk to Yang.” The heiress suggested.  
  
    “That works!” Ruby nodded, “I’ll bring it back and you’ll cheer her up. Then we can finally spend some time together!”  
  
    “Precisely.” Weiss smiled and gave a small nod in return, “I would go with you, but I think that I’m needed here.”  
  
    “Thanks, Weiss.” Ruby said, her voice softening, “I would talk to Yang, but… I think she feels better talking to you about that kind of stuff.”  
  
    “It’s no trouble.” She told her as she grabbed her handbag and pulled out her wallet.  
  
    “You think she’ll ever talk to Blake about it?” The team leader asked quietly.  
  
    Weiss gave a small sigh as she removed her credit card from her wallet and handed it off to Ruby, “We can only hope. You can lead a horse to water, but you certainly can’t make it drink.”  
  
    Ruby frowned as she accepted the card from Weiss, “I don’t like it when it’s like this… It feels like we’re barely even a team anymore. The only time they’re willing to communicate is when we’re in combat! Or when somebody needs to pass the salt at the table.”  
  
    “I know. It’s bothering me, too. All we can do is try to get them to talk it out.” Weiss said as she set her handbag back on the coffee table.  
  
    “What if they don’t, Weiss? What if one of these guys ends up being one that she actually likes? It seems like she really likes that Sun guy.” Ruby said with a worried expression.  
  
    “Then maybe that will be the wake up call that Yang needs. Now, stop worrying and go get us a pizza _without_ sardines.” Weiss told her as she smiled and gave Ruby a soft nudge.  
  
    Ruby giggled, “Okay! I’ll be back as fast as I can.”  
  
    “No rush.” The white-haired girl replied as Ruby slipped out into the hallway.  
  
    Weiss smoothed out her skirt and took a deep breath. This had to be the time that Weiss convinced Yang to say something. If Blake really ended up liking Sun, it would spell trouble for the team. Not only would it hurt Yang, but it would only drive a wedge further between her and Blake. The Ice Queen began walking down the hallway toward their sleeping quarters. With the knuckle of her index finger, Weiss gave a soft knock on the door. There was no response. Naturally, she pushed the door open. Yang was lying in Blake’s bed, rather than her own. The brawler had her arms resting over her face and was breathing steadily. Weiss walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. The heiress crossed her legs and cleared her throat.  
  
    “I already know what you’re gonna say.” Yang told her, moving her arms to her sides and beginning to sit up.  
  
    “Oh? And what am I going to say?” Weiss asked.  
  
    Yang rested her back against the headboard, bringing her knees toward her chest and resting her elbows atop them, “You’re gonna tell me that I need to talk to Blake.”  
  
    “Well, yes, but—”  
  
    “I can’t, Weiss.” Yang interrupted, causing the smaller girl to scowl.  
  
    “Why not? What’s stopping you? You’ve acknowledged your fears, you’ve had time to work up the courage, so what’s the issue, Yang?” Weiss demanded to know.  
  
    The blonde grimaced, “You _know_ what the issue is! If I fuck things up with Blake, it doesn’t just destroy our friendship. It destroys our routine, it destroys team RWBY, it… It just doesn’t work out, okay?”  
  
    “With the way things are going now, you’re going to destroy _something_ if you don’t just talk to her!” The Ice Queen snapped.  
  
    Yang had hardly noticed that her fists were clenched so tightly. Her knuckles were almost a ghostly white. The brawler tried to steel herself as she met Weiss’ agog gaze. She sucked in a harsh breath.  
  
    “Fine. I’ll talk to her tonight. Will that make you happy?” Yang grumbled.  
  
    “It won’t affect me in the slightest, but it will sure make _you_ happy.” Weiss told her in a matter-of-fact tone.  
  
    With that, the heiress got up and brushed herself off before leaving the room. Yang sat by herself and thought on what her teammate had told her until she heard the sound of Ruby coming back. Weiss and Ruby called for Yang as the scent of pizza drifted through the house. She decided it would be best to spend some time with her teammates, as it would most likely help her to get her mind off of Blake. The blonde pulled herself out of bed and ambled into the kitchen to spend some much-needed time with her sister and Weiss.

* * *

     The trio had been goofing around for what felt like only a few minutes. In reality, though, it had been a few hours. Yang was pleasantly surprised at how easily she’d become distracted by the company of Weiss and Ruby. Seeing the pair interact with each other was almost always laughable and it had helped Yang feel quite a bit better. They were just about to wrap up another cheesy horror movie when the door unlocked. Blake entered and Ruby leapt off of the couch.  
  
    “Blake!” She cheered, “You’re just in time for another—”  
  
    The short-haired girl stopped her sentence at the sight of Sun Wukong entering the dorm after Blake. Blake smiled at Ruby and the rest of her teammates as she brushed some hair behind her ear.  
  
    “Hey, guys. I brought Sun to say hello.” Blake told them, gesturing to the tall blonde.  
  
    The monkey faunus beamed, “Hello!”  
  
    “Hi, Sun!” Ruby greeted him warmly.  
  
    “Hello,” Weiss chimed in.  
  
    Yang tried not to exhibit her distaste outright. Sun Wukong? Really? The no-good stowaway that had been eyeing Blake since the moment they’d met? Yang hated this. She hated Sun’s stupid smile, she hated the way his stupid shirt was always unbuttoned, and she hated the fact that Blake had gone on a stupid date with him. Nevertheless, Yang smiled at him and gave a small wave.  
  
    “Heya, Sun.” The blonde said nonchalantly.  
  
    “What’cha guys up to?” Sun asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  
  
    The brawler resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the slight jingling that came from the chain attached to his jeans. _Why did he dress like that?_ Yang knew that it got hot in Vacuo, but the weather in Vale was almost always optimal. Couldn’t he put on an actual shirt or something? It wasn’t like everyone needed to see his stupid abs. Besides… Yang’s were better, anyhow. She tuned back into the conversation, trying to ignore how irritated she had become in such a short span of time.  
  
    “We’re just about to finish this movie! I forget the name, but these kids are camping in the Emerald Forest when this _huge_ Grimm starts trying to kill them! It’s _super_ intense!” Ruby told Sun excitedly.  
  
    Sun laughed, “That sounds pretty awesome! If you’re planning on watching anything else tonight, I’ve got recommendations! Ever heard of Vacuo Vacation? This family goes on a road trip to Vacuo and their car breaks down. They get abducted by these freaky mutant people who try to eat them!”  
  
    Weiss’ face twisted in disgust and Ruby’s lit up, “Whoa! We have to watch that next! Please, guys?”  
  
    Yang shrugged her shoulders and Weiss folded her arms. The heiress gave a heavy sigh.  
  
    “Why, Sun? Why?” She mumbled.  
  
    “Hey, don’t knock it til ya try it. It’s a good movie!” Sun argued.  
  
    Ruby poked Weiss in the arm, “ _Please_ , Weiss. It sounds so awesome!”  
  
    “Fine. But after that, we’re not watching anything else. All of this gore is just… So excessive.” She huffed, shuddering a bit.  
  
    “Yes!” Ruby cried triumphantly as she pumped a fist in the air, “Sun, you wanna stay and watch?”  
  
    “Really?” Sun asked, his tail perking up a bit behind him.  
  
    “Yeah, we can—”  
  
    “Actually,” Yang said as she stood up, “I’m feeling pretty tired already. I think I’m gonna hit the sack.”  
  
    Ruby frowned, “But, Yang, we only have a few more minutes left of this one!”  
  
    “Yeah, well, I’m exhausted.” The blonde told her sister.  
  
    Sun glanced at the clock on the wall, “Oh, wow. It actually is getting kind of late. Maybe I should head out.”  
  
    “Good seeing you, Sun.” Yang forced a smile before turning and heading down the hallway.  
  
    As she walked toward the bedroom, she could still hear their conversation in the living room. Blake still hadn’t said much. Ruby, however, was brainstorming.  
  
    “Maybe you could come over tomorrow night! We could watch it and then we can make cookies! Oh, and we could invite Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren! Also, maybe you could bring Neptune!”  
  
    Yang cringed at the idea as she shut the door behind her. She didn’t have a problem with team JNPR. In fact, she loved them. Nora was always a blast to be around and watching Ren try to keep her under control never failed to bring a smile to her face. Not to mention that Pyrrha was a sweetheart and Jaune was hilarious, even if it wasn’t exactly intentional. The few interactions Yang had had with Neptune were actually pleasant and she thought he was a cool enough guy. Sun, however…  
  
    Sun coming around would be fine if he was only coming by as their friend. But the fact that he would be coming around as someone that Blake was… Well, _interested_ in, rubbed Yang the wrong way. The brawler attempted to keep her temper under control as she climbed into her bunk and rolled onto her back. Yang took slow, even breaths as she closed her eyes and did everything in her power to tune out the voices down the hall. Every time she heard Sun speak or laugh, she wanted to punch a hole in the wall. Why was she so worked up about it? It was only one date. It wasn’t like she and Sun were going to get married.  
  
    Yang almost chuckled at how unreasonable she was being. _Almost_.  
  
    And then she heard the door to their shared living quarters shut, followed by the sound of movement in the living room. The TV was unpaused and the cheesy noises from the horror film that she had abandoned carried down the hallway. Yang pulled the sides of her pillow over her ears just as Blake entered the bedroom. The cat faunus took off her coat and draped it over the edge of her bed. Blake looked up at Yang and the blonde tried to avert her gaze.  
  
    “I almost expected you to be asleep.” Blake commented.  
  
    Yang should’ve known she would say something.  
  
    “I’ve just been really tired lately.” She muttered.  
  
    The faunus sat down on Weiss’ bed and kept her eyes trained to Yang, “Something bothering you?”  
  
    The lilac-eyed girl bit her tongue. Something was definitely bothering her—And if what Weiss had said was true, the same thing was bothering Blake. Why were the both of them dancing around the obvious issue? Yang had told Weiss she would talk to Blake, but the fear that she thought she’d be able to push down was rearing its ugly head. In that moment, the brawler would sooner take on an entire horde of Grimm on her own than talk to Blake.  
  
    “Nah,” Yang dismissed the idea, trying to pretend like she didn’t see the flicker of doubt in Blake’s eyes, “How was your date with Sun?”  
  
    “It wasn’t really a date. We just hung out together.” Blake told her.  
  
    “Just the two of you?” Yang inquired, unable to stop herself.  
  
    “Yeah, just the two of us.” The faunus said back, “I feel like you two should hang out sometime. You guys would get along really well.”  
  
    Yang choked back a harsh laugh, “Really? Me and Sun?”  
  
    “Yes.” Blake nodded.  
  
    “I dunno, Blake. We’re nothing alike.” The brawler informed her teammate.  
  
    “Oh?” The raven-haired girl challenged, “Alright, Yang. Whatever you say.”  
  
    There was a playful tone in Blake’s voice and Yang got that all-too-familiar fuzzy feeling in her stomach. She sat up in her bed, unable to keep herself from bantering along with the bookworm. It wasn’t too often that they got into these flirtatious sessions of wordplay, especially lately, but Yang never turned down an opportunity for one when she saw it.  
  
    “What is it? Is it because we’re both blondes?” Yang teased.  
  
    “No,” Blake said as she held back a smile, “Maybe it’s because you’re both stubborn.”  
  
    The blonde shook her head, “I hate to tell you this, Blakey… But not _every_ blonde is as devastatingly good-looking and charming as me.”  
  
    “ _You’re kidding_ ,” Blake widened her eyes, feigning shock.  
  
    “Nope. Hate to be the one to burst your bubble, but not even Sunny-Boy comes close.” Yang said confidently.  
  
    "If I’m not mistaken, it sounds like you’re jealous.” The faunus pointed out.  
  
    “Me? Jealous?” Yang scoffed, “Nah. Nothing to be jealous about.”  
  
    The blonde sat back and rested her arms behind her head. Her expression was as smug as the look on her face. Blake was glad to see that Yang had seemingly reverted to her typical self for the time being. She smiled up at Yang, who couldn’t resist returning the gesture. Blake’s cheeks began to glow a dull red.  
  
    “I, ah… I should get to bed.” Blake said, “Long day.”  
  
    “Right, right.” Yang nodded and waved a hand, “Me too. I’m beat.”  
  
    Yang rolled onto her side and faced the wall as she listened to Blake opening and closing the drawers of her dresser. A few feet away from her, the raven-haired beauty was changing. Yang closed her eyes as she tried to ignore the thoughts that accompanied knowing that information. The bed moved a bit as Blake got into the bottom bunk. The blonde could hear Blake pulling the blankets up to her chin, as she always did.  
  
    “Goodnight, Yang.” Blake said quietly.  
  
    “Night, Blakey.” Yang replied.


	3. III.

    The only good news this month, Yang had decided, was the news of Nora’s birthday celebration. For the past few weeks, Sun had been coming around more often than Yang liked. It had put her in a rather sour mood. So when the noisy redhead had announced that they would be going out for her birthday, Yang was more than happy to hear it. There would finally be some time to spend with Blake without Sun breathing down her neck. Now she could finally talk to Blake. After a few drinks, it would definitely be easy to tell her everything she’d been feeling. Yang had been looking forward to this night for almost a week, now. As she got ready, the brawler danced around the room and hummed to herself.  
  
    Weiss pushed the door open, “You’re awfully chipper.”  
  
    “Mmhmm.” Yang gave a muffled response as she held a hair tie in between her teeth.  
  
    “May I ask why?” The heiress said, going through the drawers of her desk.  
  
    “Tonight’s the night, Weiss.” The blonde replied as she took the band out of her mouth, “I’m gonna tell her.”  
  
    Weiss’ expression openly displayed her shock. She could hardly believe her ears. The white-haired girl stopped her task entirely to gawk at Yang. When she had finished putting up a portion of her hair, Yang smiled and folded her arms.  
  
    “I must say, Yang. I’m impressed. I was starting to lose hope that you’d ever speak up.” Weiss admitted.  
  
    “No faith in me, huh?” Yang teased as she slipped on her bomber jacket.  
  
    Weiss rolled her eyes, “No, I have faith in you. I was just starting to think maybe you didn’t have any in yourself.”  
  
    “Aw.” The blonde further prodded the Ice Queen, pulling her into a squeeze just as she was about to continue rummaging through her desk, “Icy Weissy cares about me.”  
  
    “I’m going to stop being so nice if you don’t unhand me this instant.” The Schnee girl warned.  
  
    “Alright, alright.” Yang chuckled and stepped back, “What’cha lookin’ for?”  
  
    “I’m looking for a false ID that I had made for Ruby a few months back. It should be in here somewhere.” Weiss told her as she absentmindedly continued searching.  
  
    “Wait, what?” The brawler asked, “You had a fake ID made for Rubes?”  
  
    “Y-Yes… But I only did it because I figured it was fine. I mean, I feel bad! When we go out, she can’t drink with us… She’s less than a year away from the legal age, so I thought—”  
  
    “It’s fine, Weiss.” Yang assured her, “Has she used it at all?”  
  
    “I took her out a handful of times. We didn’t drink much, though. I just… I can’t find it.” Weiss frowned as she looked beneath a pencil case.  
  
    “I’m sure it’ll be fine. We’ll just slip her a few drinks if it’s that big a deal. But only a few.” Yang said.  
  
    Weiss looked at her and lifted a brow, “Why? Are we doing extra training tomorrow?”  
  
    “No, but… I don’t want it to be noticeable that she’s drunk. We don’t want our team leader getting into trouble.” The blonde reminded her.  
  
    She gave a small nod of agreement, “I guess you’re right. It should be fine, then… I mean, she can get in. She just can’t drink.”  
  
    “Yeah! Rubes’ll be a good sport, anyway. Don’t sweat it, Weiss.” Yang said nonchalantly.  
  
    “Thanks, Yang.” Weiss hummed, “It’s good to see you like this.”  
  
    “It’s good to feel this way.” The blonde concurred.  


* * *

  
     Yang had most definitely overestimated the amount of drinks it would take for her to get comfortably intoxicated. She’d started drinking when they’d arrived and hadn’t stopped since. It had nearly been an hour and a half since their arrival. Nora was already completely hammered. She’d been dragging Ren around the dance floor for several minutes and was being a surprisingly good sport about it. Jaune and Pyrrha watched on from the other end of the bar, laughing every so often when Nora would try to do some sort of fancy move. Weiss had taken Ruby onto the dance floor and was leading her in what would’ve been an otherwise formal dance if her partner was anyone besides Ruby. The team leader stumbled around as she tried to mimic Weiss’ steps and turns and pivots. It was rather precious.  
  
    Team CFVY had even made an appearance to the party. At first, it had made Yang wary of whether or not team SSSN would show up. Thankfully, though, there was no sign of them. Not that it would matter anymore. Yang had gotten too drunk to care. Blake was sitting on a black sofa and talking to Velvet, who was sitting beside her. She looked incredible. The cat faunus was sporting a pair of tight, white jeans and a black tube top that exposed her midriff. Yang had been trying not to eye her all night. It proved to be much harder than she’d thought. The blonde continued to watch as Blake socialized with Velvet, occasionally taking a sip of alcohol.  
  
    It was nice to see Blake so relaxed. Usually social interaction had her wound up pretty tightly. However, when alcohol was involved, Blake tended to open up a decent amount. Yang liked it when Blake was at ease. Most of the time, alcohol could do the trick for any introvert. Yang, though, would often become twice as obnoxious and loud as usual. She didn’t mind. It always made Blake laugh. The song changed and Weiss began dragging Ruby off of the dance floor. The pair approached Yang and the blonde perked up, lifting her brows at them.  
  
    “Ruby, I think we should sign up for dance lessons.” Weiss was saying as they arrived at the bar.  
  
    “Why, Weiss? I’m a great dancer already.” Ruby argued, pouting a bit.  
  
    Weiss stifled a laugh, “I just think… We could benefit from having some skills with dancing. After all, combat is like a dance. Not only that, but it would give us some…”  
  
    Ruby’s eyes lit up with childlike excitement as she waited for the words to roll off of Weiss’ tongue.  
  
    “It will give us some bonding time.” The white-haired girl sighed.  
  
    Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss’ arm and beamed. Yang’s sister made a squealing sound as she shook Weiss a bit. The heiress remained balanced as she rode out Ruby’s celebration.  
  
    “Weiss! That’s a great idea! I can’t believe I never thought of it before!” The team leader exclaimed.  
  
    “I try my best,” Weiss smiled.  
  
    Ruby nodded, “Oh, hey. I’m going to run to the bathroom! I’ll be back.”  
  
    “Alright,” The heiress said.  
  
    “Wow, Weiss. Dance lessons, huh?” Yang slurred as she wiggled her brows.  
  
    “Oh, shut up… And I can smell your breath from here.” Weiss scowled, “Yang, you’re plastered. Why did you drink so much?”  
  
    The Schnee girl snatched the beer bottle that was in Yang’s hand and the blonde frowned, “Ah, Weiss. Come on. Give it back.”  
  
    “Oh my goodness, Yang… Did you only want to confess to Blake tonight because you knew it’d be easier if you were both drunk?” She asked in an accusatory tone.  
  
    “N-No.” Yang hiccuped.  
      
    Weiss somehow managed to scowl harder, “Well… If you’re going to confess, then go do it. Don’t just stand there all night undressing her with your eyes, you dolt.”  
  
    “Aye, aye, cap’n.” Yang gave a messy salute before stumbling off toward Blake.  
  
    Weiss rolled her eyes as she turned her back and requested drinks from the bartender. Yang approached the pair of fine faunus women and tried to act as not-drunk as she could manage. The blonde stuck her hands into the pockets of her bomber jacket and smiled as Velvet noticed her approaching. Blake turned her head as well, beaming back at the brawler.  
  
    “Hi, Yang,” Velvet said warmly, “Enjoying the party?”  
  
    “Oh, yeah. Definitely.” Yang nodded, “You?”  
  
    “It’s great.” The rabbit faunus agreed.  
  
    Yang’s eyes flickered to the cat faunus, “What about you, Blake?”  
  
    “I’m enjoying myself.” Blake told Yang, her voice clearly demonstrating her content.  
  
    “That’s great. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Yang questioned as she suddenly hoped she wasn’t intruding on their conversation.  
  
    “No, not at all! We were just discussing how things have been going with our teams, lately.” Velvet answered.  
  
    “Oh, that’s great. So, you don’t mind if I borrow Blake for a minute?” She wanted to know.  
  
    Velvet giggled, “Nope. She’s all yours.”  
  
    “Care to dance?” Yang asked, extending a hand to the raven-haired faunus.  
  
    “I’d love to.” Blake chuckled as she took Yang’s hand and followed her to the dance floor.  
  
    The pair goofed around for a bit as the upbeat music with pounding bass blasted over the speakers in the nightclub. After a few minutes, it switched to something a little slower and a few groups began to vacate the dance floor, leaving only couples and pairings in their wake. Yang was about to suggest they go sit down and have a drink when Blake wrapped her arms around the brawler’s neck. The faunus stepped closer to her and rested her head in the crook of her neck. Yang snaked her arms around Blake’s waist and gently carried her to the rhythm of the music.  
  
    “Blake?” The blonde said after a moment, her fingertips feeling as though they were burning against Blake’s exposed skin.  
  
    “Hm?” The faunus responded.  
  
    Yang hesitated for a bit before finally speaking again, “Can we talk?”  
  
    “Always.” Blake said quietly, her head still resting against Yang, “What about?”  
  
    “Is it cool if we step outside? It’s kind of noisy.” Yang asked.  
  
    “Yeah,” Blake said, dropping her arms to her sides.  
  
    The brawler took her hand and led her toward the door. They stepped outside of the club, standing on the sidewalk in the night air. It was quiet, save for the sound of muffled music coming from the club and the occasional passing car. Blake shivered a bit and Yang pulled her jacket off, draping it over her teammate’s shoulders. She smiled at the blonde before putting her arms in the sleeves as they strolled over to the alley on the side of the building. Blake put her hands in the pockets of the jacket and Yang tried not to stare. The cat faunus looked as beautiful as ever, even if she was a little blurry. Yang leaned against the brick wall of the building next to the nightclub and folded her arms.  
  
    “What did you want to talk about?” The raven-haired girl inquired.  
  
    “Listen…” Yang began, “Lately, I’ve… I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”  
  
    “Uh huh. You already told me that, Yang.” Blake giggled.  
  
    “No, Blake, don’t laugh… It’s… S-Serious.” The brawler hiccuped again.  
  
    The cat faunus brought a hand to her mouth to hide her mischievous smile, “Sorry, sorry… What’s going on?”  
  
    “You know how you’ve been bringing Sun around a lot lately?” Yang asked.  
  
    “Mmhmm.” Blake nodded, “Why?”  
  
    “I hate that guy.” The blonde admitted.  
  
    “What?” The faunus laughed a bit, “How come?”  
  
    “Because, Blake… It’s…” Yang stumbled for the right words.  
  
    Though it was simple to tell her, putting words together was suddenly astronomically more difficult than Yang had predicted. The fact that she’d had too much to drink wasn’t exactly helping. The blonde already wasn’t the most articulate person in Remnant… Now she’d given herself twice the handicap. Yang ran a hand through her hair and shook her head a bit. Blake looked at her and despite the hazy look in her eyes, she appeared concerned.  
  
    “Yang?”  
  
    The brawler sucked in a deep breath, “Blake, I’m in love with you.”  
  
    Blake blinked as Yang felt the weight of the world roll off of her shoulders.  
  
    She continued, “I can’t stand it when Sun comes around… I-I talk to Weiss but I just couldn’t be brave enough to tell you until now… I know you feel the same way, but I know you wouldn’t say anything either… Now, with Sun around, I just—”  
  
    Her rambling was cut short by the faunus’ lips crashing against her own. Yang’s eyes shut slowly as she relished the feeling of Blake’s mouth pressed against hers. It was better than she’d ever imagined. Her lips were soft and full with the faintest hint of peppermint chapstick on them. The blonde cupped the side of her face, pulling her in closer and not daring to pull away. The taste of vodka was so strong on Blake’s tongue that Yang felt as though she was drinking it herself. When the pair finally parted for a breath, they pressed their foreheads together. Yang gently combed her fingers through Blake’s hair.  
  
    “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.” Blake said quietly, her hand coming to rest in the center of Yang’s chest.  
  
    The blonde leaned in again and planted a gentle kiss on her lips. Yang was surprised at how fiercely the faunus kissed her back. It felt like every emotion the two had felt since they’d met was being poured into the kiss. It was longing, yet wanton and filled with need. Blake’s teeth grazed the brawler’s lip as her hand slid down between her thighs. Blake was definitely keeping her on her toes tonight. Yang couldn’t just sit back and let the introvert take the lead. She grabbed Blake’s waist and whirled her around, pushing her back against the wall. Blake moaned into her mouth and Yang decided she couldn’t wait any longer.  
  
    Her hands went for the faunus’ jeans, fumbling as they hastily unbuttoned them. Blake pulled away and looked down at Yang’s hands slipping into her pants. The raven-haired girl bit her bottom lip as she felt her teammate’s fingertips running over the crotch of her now damp underwear. Yang pulled the fabric to the side and slid her fingers along the length of Blake’s lips. The faunus whimpered, her fingers hooking through the belt loops on Yang’s jeans. Blake tugged her closer and rested her forehead on the blonde’s shoulder. Yang pushed two fingers inside of her teammate, receiving a lascivious moan from Blake in response. Her hot breath against Yang’s collarbone was driving the brawler crazy.  
  
    “Mmph,” Blake breathed, “Yang.”  
  
    Yang was already euphoric on account of the alcohol she’d consumed, but hearing her name roll off of Blake’s tongue in such a way had put her on cloud nine. She continued to thrust her fingers in and out of her best friend, relishing every gasp and moan that spilled from her lips. Yang was determined to finish what she had started, but it seemed that Blake had other plans. The faunus grabbed her wrist and held it tight. She lifted her head to look at Yang, who raised her brows in worry. With her free hand, Blake brought her palm to rest against her teammate’s cheek. Her thumb lazily grazed over her skin and she looked at Yang with half-lidded eyes.  
  
    “Take me home.” She ordered.  


* * *

  
    Yang had just barely shut the door to their dormitory when Blake grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her down the hallway toward their shared bedroom. The taxi ride to the Academy had been excruciating. At one point, Yang was convinced that it was never going to end. The feeling of Blake’s fingertips running up and down her thighs had lit a fire in the pit of her stomach. Blake’s actions had only continued to feed the flame. When they reached their bedroom, Blake pushed Yang down onto her bed. The blonde was shocked to see her taking the lead and presumed that she must have been incredibly drunk to have the gall to do so. It was incredibly uncharacteristic of the faunus. With pure carnal desire in her eyes, Blake climbed atop Yang and straddled her. She began to pull her shirt over her head and Yang only looked on at her in awe as she undressed.  
  
    Blake dropped her shirt over the edge of the bed and began to unclasp her bra. The dark-haired girl pulled the garment off, baring her chest for Yang to see. The brawler could hardly believe that any of this was happening. The kiss that they had shared in the alleyway was one thing, but this—This was more than Yang had ever anticipated. However, she wasn’t complaining. The feline faunus grabbed Yang’s hands and guided them to her waist. The dumbfounded blonde slowly ran her hands up her teammate’s sides, tracing her curves. Goosebumps covered every inch of skin that Yang made contact with and a satisfied smile began to manifest on her lips.  
  
    Taking note of this, Blake reached down and began attempting to pull off Yang’s signature bomber jacket. The blonde sat up and shook her arms out of it before leaning in and placing her hands on the small of Blake’s back. Yang brought her mouth to the center of Blake’s chest, pausing to breathe in her scent for a moment. The aroma of alcohol was still pungent on the faunus and it almost completely overpowered her faint vanilla-scented perfume. Yang grazed her lips up and over toward her partner’s collarbones, planting a soft kiss on her neck. Blake gave a small hum as Yang pulled away and started to pull her shirt over her head. With that out of the way, she proceeded to take off her bra and toss it aside. Blake’s hands instantly began to roam over Yang’s exposed skin. Her fingertips were so soft and cold against the brawler’s hot skin.  
  
    It was tantalizingly slow and yet, Yang found herself enjoying it. Their lips met again in a harsh, passionate kiss. Yang’s hands moved down to the faunus’ jeans and she began to unbutton them. Blake giggled softly as she scooted away and got on her back, allowing Yang to pull her pants off. She was wearing a pair of black lace panties that did little to hide how wet she was. Yang felt as though this was all too good to be true. The blonde hesitated as she tried to process the situation, but Blake snapped her back to reality as she began to pull her underwear down her long legs. Yang swallowed hard, drinking in the sight of her teammate who was now completely naked before her.  
  
    She leaned forward and placed her hands on the sides of Blake’s thighs, running them up and down slowly. The cat faunus was more beautiful than she’d ever imagined. Even in her drunken state, it was a miracle that she wasn’t trying to shield herself from Yang or even run off like she normally did when she was nervous. It was as if all of her insecurity and uncertainty had been erased. Whether it was from the alcohol or the honesty that they’d shared with one another, Yang wasn’t sure. The only thing she was certain of was that she had made the right decision to be honest with Blake. She was in love with her and she was more than happy to prove it.  
  
    Yang moved her head between Blake’s legs and began to kiss her inner thighs. The dark-haired girl whimpered while her teammate teased her. One of Blake’s hands became tangled in Yang’s hair as the faunus attempted to lift her hips off of the bed, desperate to be pleasured. Yang could hardly resist any longer herself and finally brought her head down, pressing her tongue flat against Blake’s clit. A melodious and unrestrained moan came from Blake in response. The brawler listened attentively to the string of curses, noises, and incoherent babble that streamed from her lips, using it as a sort of gauge when pleasuring her partner. When Blake got a bit louder, she kept it up. When it sounded like she was getting too close, she’d slow down a bit.  
  
    “Please,” The feline faunus panted, “Please, Yang. I’m so close.”  
  
    The blonde couldn’t argue with her pleas. She quickened her pace as she licked the sensitive bundle of nerves, lessening the amount of pressure she placed on it with her tongue. Blake cursed under her breath and clawed at the bed sheets with her free hand. With a fistful of Yang’s hair, the faunus actually seemed to hold her there. Yang didn’t mind at all, taking the opportunity to clean her up with soft, slow licks. Blake’s hips twitched slightly as she rode out the entirety of her much-needed orgasm. When she had finally regained her breath, she sat up and eagerly cupped Yang’s cheeks. The blonde rose to catch her lips in a sensual, unhurried kiss. Blake ran her fingers along the curve of Yang’s jawline as they parted and pressed her forehead against her partner’s.  
  
    “You’re even better than I imagined,” Blake told her in a near-whisper.  
  
    Yang cracked a smile, “I could say the same to you.”  
  
    Her teammate’s breathing was still a bit labored and her body was coated in a thin layer of sweat. The room had grown rather hot and musky and Yang was certain that she’d have to wash Blake’s sheets. The cat faunus began to lie back and the blonde worried that perhaps sleep was looming overhead. She didn’t want the night to end—Not yet. She took Blake’s hand and began to get off of the bed. The dazed faunus looked up at her and cocked her head.  
  
    “Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.” Yang said, nodding toward the bathroom door.  
  
    Blake got up and followed, a silent agreement. Her ears were pointed upright as her teammate guided her into the bathroom. Blake’s footsteps were still a bit wobbly, but Yang was there to keep her balanced. As they waited for the water to heat up, the cat faunus’ lips lingered back to Yang’s neck. The blonde gently pressed Blake against the bathroom wall and lifted her partner’s leg, wrapping it around her waist. Yang kissed her hard and couldn’t resist pressing her body flush against hers. The raven-haired girl’s scent was intoxicating, causing Yang to want nothing more than to feel every inch of her body against Blake’s.  
  
    Her hand tangled itself in the faunus’ hair while the fingers of her free hand caressed her bare, taut stomach. Blake shuddered beneath her touch and broke their kiss, letting out a soft moan. She slipped a hand down Yang’s back, nails raking her skin gently. Her other hand found a handful of the blonde’s tresses and pulled hard. Yang’s head jerked back instinctively at the unexpected roughness—Though she’d be lying if she said it didn’t turn her on more. Blake’s mouth crashed into hers and she felt her tongue brush over her bottom lip. Yang parted her lips and felt her partner’s tongue beginning to explore her mouth. Blake ran her tongue along the tip of Yang’s  before pulling away and planting a soft kiss to the brawler’s lips.  
  
    “Let’s get in the shower,” The feline faunus murmured, eyes hazed by lust, “And then I can take care of you.”  
  
    She gave Yang a gentle nudge away from her and slipped quickly into her shower. With speed unmatched by even Ruby, Yang slipped out of her remaining clothes and followed Blake into the shower. As soon as she stepped foot into the shower, Blake pulled her close and pushed her body against Yang’s beneath the hot water. Apparently, it was Blake’s turn to be aggressive. The dark-haired girl pinned her to the wall of the shower, leaning in and placing kisses along the blonde’s jaw. She followed the arch of the bone up to her ear before softly biting down on her lover’s earlobe. Chills coursed through Yang and she choked back a moan. Blake slowly pulled back and admired her, eyes roaming over her entire body as she gave a low hum.  
  
    “You’re so beautiful,” Blake told her as she leaned back in, “I’ve wanted to fuck you for so long.”  
  
    Yang shivered at her mere words. She’d never heard such boldness from the faunus and it was a massive turn on. The feeling of her breath against her ear only furthered the intensity of it all. Yang was aching for Blake to follow through.  
  
    “Then do it,” The brawler challenged.  
  
    Having received all of the confirmation she needed, Blake slowly trailed her fingertips away from Yang’s waist and over her ribs, moving her hand up to cup her breast. The faunus ran her finger along the underside of her partner’s breast, tracing the curve of her skin until she came into contact with one of Yang’s nipples. She gave the pink skin a slight pinch, drawing a moan out from behind Yang’s lips that bounced off of the shower walls. Her lower back arched away from the wall as Blake’s lips closed around her other nipple. This time, a much louder moan escaped the girl from the sudden contact.  
  
    “Fuck, Blake,” Yang breathed, “That feels so good.”  
  
    Another hum came from the cat faunus, her mouth still occupied with sucking on Yang’s nipple. The blonde pressed her pelvis into Blake in hopes of feeling some friction where she needed it the most. Blake dropped her hand from Yang’s other breast and gripped harshly at her hip, as if signaling her to be patient. A soft whimper came from Yang—A sound that she didn’t ever expect to make. Blake was growing increasingly eager to please her partner and as such, she slid her hand between Yang’s legs. Her middle finger pressed against her clit and she began to rub it gently. Yang gritted her teeth from the pleasure and whimpered yet again. She gripped Blake’s back, rocking her body against her lover’s hand. She wanted more of her. She needed more of her. The brawler’s hand moved down to Blake’s and she gripped her wrist, guiding her hand toward her entrance.  
  
    Yang wasn’t one to beg with words. Blake had been so vocal with her desire, but the blonde wasn’t one to give in. The faunus pushed her finger inside of Yang and felt her walls tighten around her digit. A sigh of pleasure came from Yang and Blake found herself intoxicated with her teammate. She began to pump her fingers slowly in and out of Yang before biting down on her shoulder. Yang disrupted the rhythm Blake had set with a buck of her hips, though she didn’t care. The long awaited pleasure was intense and she moaned aloud. Blake continued to try to find a steady rhythm as Yang’s hips jerked with the motions of her hand. She released her partner’s skin from between her teeth and moved to press her forehead to Yang’s.  
  
    “Just feel me, Yang. Move with me.” Blake said softly.  
  
    With half-lidded eyes, Yang gave a hasty nod before pressing her lips to Blake’s and letting her take the reins. Blake was able to work up a proper rhythm, now thrusting in and out of Yang without resistance. She pulled out and slid her fingers back up over Yang’s clit, circling the bud and receiving a moan in her mouth in response. When she slid her fingers back down, she pushed two fingers into Yang. Her hips bucked again, this time finally moving in time with her lover’s motions. Yang found that this made the experience twice as pleasurable as it already was and she moaned for Blake to keep going. Whimpering yet again, the blonde slid her hands down to grip Blake’s toned ass.  
  
    After a bit longer, Blake suddenly hit a spot that elicited the loudest moan from Yang that night. Yang ground herself against Blake’s hand, clenching hard around her fingers. She dug her nails into her partner’s ass and threw her head back as she found herself completely racked with pleasure. Her eyes shut tight as she rode out a number of leg spasms, which Blake only continued to egg on with her continued stroking of Yang’s clit. When the pleasure had finally washed away, the blonde rested her head on Blake’s shoulder. She planted an exhausted kiss on her skin before nuzzling into her neck.  
  
    “Thank you,” Yang barely managed to choke out.  
  
    Blake chuckled and pulled her fingers out from between her legs, “There’s no need to thank me, Yang. I’ve wanted to do that for ages.”


	4. IV.

    The morning after, Yang woke up to an empty bed. She could hardly remember anything beyond the feeling of Blake’s skin against her own. The brawler looked over to the clock on the nightstand and realized that she had slept particularly late. And although the space next to her was void of the raven-haired girl’s presence, the smile never left Yang’s face. She got out of bed and realized that somewhere along the way she had actually managed to get into her pajamas. Clad in a pair of grey sweat pants and a baggy orange shirt, Yang made her way into the kitchen. Weiss was attempting to read through a cookbook while Ruby furiously stirred up some sort of concoction in a bowl.  
  
    “Good afternoon, Yang.” Weiss said without looking up from her reading.  
  
    “Yang!” Ruby exclaimed as she continued to violently turn the whisk around in the silver bowl she clutched in her other arm, “We’re making cookies!”  
  
    “Cookies?” Yang chuckled.  
  
    “I don’t think the recipe called for so many bags of chocolate chips, Ruby… We only made enough dough for a single batch of cookies.” Weiss pointed out as she set the book on the countertop and looked down at it.  
  
    “Cookies can have as many chocolate chips as you want! Besides, there’s _no_ such thing as too many chocolate chips.” Ruby corrected her.  
  
    Yang’s eyes trailed to the three empty bags in the kitchen that must have housed chocolate chips at one point, “So, what’s the occasion?”  
  
    “Oh, there’s no occasion. Weiss promised me last night that we would make cookies if I slept in the living room with her!” Her sister responded.  
  
    The blonde lifted her eyebrows and looked at Weiss, who was smiling smugly as she pretended to carry on reading. The heiress knew full-well what had happened between her teammates. She’d even gone so far as to give them their time alone together. Yang would have to thank her later. For now, she’d just play along.  
  
    “The living room? Did you guys watch movies?” Yang questioned.  
  
    “We turned one on, but I don’t remember anything after that,” Ruby giggled.  
  
    Weiss looked over at Yang, “She passed out. I was up quite late.”  
  
    “Ah,” The blonde nodded, “Where’s Blake?”  
  
    “Sun came by and took her out for coffee.” Ruby answered as she pulled the whisk out of the bowl.  
  
    Yang felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. Weiss turned around and went about fetching a tray for the cookies to be put on. The brawler tried to convince herself that it was fine. After all, there was no way that Blake would be on a date with Sun after a night like the one they’d shared. There was no reason for her to worry.  
  
    “Probably to help with the hangover.” Yang said out loud, as if still trying to persuade herself that that was the situation.  
  
    “Maybe! She seemed fine when she left!” The team leader chirped back as Weiss set the tray down before her, “Did you spray the pan?”  
  
    “Yes, I did. Unlike you, I’m following the instructions given by the recipe book.” The white-haired girl responded.  
  
    “I’m just being _thorough_ , Weiss.” Ruby replied as she began to dollop masses of her cookie mixture onto the tray.  
  
    “Right,” Weiss dismissed.  
  
    Yang began to tune out their back and forth as her mind doubled back to the fact that Blake was out with Sun again. Had she changed her mind about her feelings for her? Had she regretted everything that was said and done last night? Had she lied about reciprocating Yang’s feelings in an effort not to hurt her? The blonde wanted to go chasing after her, but she quickly dismissed the notion. Her stomach was in knots and she wanted to write it off as mere overthinking. It still nipped at the back of her mind, as much as she tried to push it down—And with good reason.  
  


* * *

  
    Blake didn’t even remember. She didn’t remember any of the words they’d exchanged, any of the kisses they’d shared, or anything further. It didn’t take Yang very long to figure that out. It was as if the conversation had never taken place between them. The same unspoken tension existed that had plagued the pair before. This time, the only difference was that Yang knew something Blake didn’t. Every single word they’d exchanged with one another that night was as real as it could be. Every kiss, every touch, every look they gave each other was so incredibly real. How could Blake forget all of that? What’s more, how could she have said and done all of those things in the moment if they weren’t the thoughts and feelings she had when she was sober?  
  
    On the one hand, she couldn’t blame her teammate. Even Yang hadn’t built up the confidence to tell Blake her true feelings without the aid of alcohol. At least, though, Yang knew her limits. Apparently Blake did not. The days had turned into weird, prolonged bouts of self war that would never come to an end. Yang would fall asleep at night and awake only to pick up right where she’d left off prior. It was taking a toll on her. The vicious circle of knowing Blake’s true feelings and trying to work up the courage to talk to her only to remember that she would probably be alarmed to know the truth was unbearable. Weiss had begun to notice her teammate’s distress and after a long day of training nearly two weeks later, she pulled the blonde aside.  
  
    “What’s going on with you, Yang? Your head seems more in the clouds than it did before.” Weiss demanded to know, “And not only that, but if anything, it feels like you and Blake are talking less than ever.”  
  
    “I, uh,” Yang stumbled over her words and awkwardly shrugged her shoulders.  
  
    Weiss simply wouldn’t take that for an answer. The white-haired girl snatched up Yang by the wrist and began dragging her off toward the locker rooms in the training hall. After entering the girls locker room and hurrying to the far end that was empty, Weiss came to a halt. She pointed expectantly at the metallic bench that spanned the length of the aisle and Yang sat down, already feeling defeated. The Schnee girl folded her arms in front of her chest and tilted her head.  
  
    “Well?” She prompted.  
  
    Yang tried to form the words, to no avail, “Blake and I… We…”  
  
    “You what?” Weiss urged, her brows knitting together.  
  
    “Well, first we just talked to each other and I told her how I don’t like her being around Sun so much… And then we kissed and…” The blonde could hardly believe that even now a confident chuckle floated past her lips, “You know.”  
  
    The heiress could hardly resist the curling of her upper lip as she shook her head, “Spare me the details, thank you… I don’t understand, then. Did she change her mind?”  
  
    “That’s the thing,” Yang continued, “I don’t know what happened. I woke up the next morning and she’d already left with Sun.”  
  
    “Do you think she doesn’t recall any of the events from the night before?” Weiss inquired.  
  
    “I mean, that _seems_ like the most reasonable thing I can think of. I’m too afraid to ask her about it, though.”  
  
    “So, we’re back at square one, hm?” She lifted a brow at Yang.  
  
    “It sure as hell seems that way,” Yang sighed.  
  
    Her teammate gave a bit of a hum as she thought to herself, bringing a hand to her chin, “I’m just having a hard time understanding exactly how this could be the case. I mean, didn’t she wake up beside you?”  
  
    “I don’t know. The last thing I remember is—“  
  
    “I told you to spare me the details,” Weiss warned, covering her ears as her cheeks turned red.  
  
    Yang stood up and pried her hands away from her ears, “The last thing I remember is getting back into bed with her.”  
  
    The smaller girl pulled Yang’s hands off of her wrists and gave her a look of distaste. She brushed off the skirt of her dress before clearing her throat and righting herself. Yang watched in amusement as Weiss prepared herself to continue speaking.  
  
    “Anyway,” She began, “I know it’s scary, Yang, but I feel like the only option you have is to talk to her about it. If _I_ address her about it, she’ll probably run off or be absolutely mortified.”  
  
    Weiss had a point. Blake was easy to overwhelm and her first instinct was almost always to avoid facing things head on until she was forced to. Albeit annoying, Yang understood that everyone dealt with their issues in different ways. While the blonde typically opted for punching her way through things, Blake typically chose the route that would lead her furthest away from the issue. The only problem was that even building up the courage to talk to Blake initially was rough. The brawler couldn’t do it without some alcohol in her system and endless pushing from Weiss. How was she supposed to work all of that bravery back up? Such a task seemed far too overwhelming to try to face again. Yang was willing to do anything for Blake, but the fact that she had gone out with Sun after that night’s events felt like a kick in the head.  
  
    “Weiss, I…” Yang started, fumbling for her words, “What if she doesn’t even want to be with me? What if it would be too weird for her? It seems like all she wants to do is be around Sun…”  
  
    The white-haired girl glared at her, “Yang, that’s ridiculous. You guys are inseparable. I don’t think this would change _anything_. And who cares if she wants to hang around Sun? Prove to her that you’re the right choice for her, Yang! Assert yourself!”  
  
    “You know what? Yeah! I will!” The brawler declared as she got to her feet, a fire in her eyes.  
  
    “There’s the Yang I know,” Weiss smiled, pleased with the reaction she was able to elicit from her teammate.  
  
    “Thank you, Weiss,” Yang said as she pulled the smaller girl into an embrace, “I won’t let you down!”  
  
    The blonde began to hurry out of the locker room, as if refilled with energy and encouragement. Weiss only gave a shake of the head and a giggle. The Schnee girl walked out of the locker room shortly after, happy to see Yang motivated and with her head back in the game.  
  


* * *

  
    Nothing was working. It had been several months since they had confessed their feelings for one another and nothing was working. Blake only had eyes for Sun, now. The two had been officially going out for five months. He came around the RWBY dormitory more than Yang ever wanted him to. He spent a lot of time with her best friend. It was like she belonged to him now instead of belonging to Yang… Not that she ever truly belonged to Yang anyway. The huntress-in-training slammed a fist into the punching bag as hard as she could, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she did so. She seemed to have a laser focus on the punching bag in front of her. Yang had been in the training hall for hours and had been walloping the punching bag like it had personally done her wrong.  
  
    Tonight in particular was difficult. She had been sitting on the couch with Ruby, getting ready to play board games with she and Weiss when Sun had arrived. He was all gussied up with his stupid white button up shirt that wasn’t even buttoned all the way. His hair was done all nice and he was wearing dress pants for once. He even ditched his sneakers and had on a pair of clean shoes. Yang nailed the bag in front of her with a wicked right hook as she thought back on the thought of him. He’d told them he was there to pick up Blake for their five month anniversary dinner. Of course, almost as if on cue, Blake had emerged from their shared bedroom looking absolutely breathtaking.  
  
    She’d ditched her little bow, her cat-like ears sitting proudly atop her dark tresses. Her hair was pulled into an elegant looking bun with a few loose strands of hair hanging around her face. She was sporting a gorgeous, charcoal colored gown that complimented the shape of her frame so nicely. Yang had had to peel her eyes away from the girl, but not before noticing the shine in her eyes that she had seen once before—The look that she had given her on that fateful night. Now was different, though. Now that look was for Sun. The mere thought of that sickened the brawler, even though she knew that she was supposed to want Blake to be happy. Looking back, Yang felt stupider than ever… Blake had never told her she loved her. The blonde had completely surrendered herself to the faunus, revealing her feelings and wearing her heart on her sleeve. Blake hadn’t even said it back.  
  
    Another devastating punch was dealt to the bag as it began to swing back and forth with a surprising amount of momentum, the chains that held it in place rattling loudly throughout the empty training hall. Yang didn’t even know what time it was anymore. All she knew was that she was angry. She was so, so angry. Releasing her bottom lip from in between her teeth, she began to throw punch after punch at the bag. It was continuously knocked back as she could feel her face and body heating up. Before she knew it, her mouth was open and she was yelling nearly at the top of her lungs. Small puffs of dust surrounded her knuckles as she buried them over and over again into the punching bag. With a final punch that could have been enough to shatter bone, the bag swung back drastically far, coming unchained and collapsing on the floor with a thud unlike anything Yang had ever heard.  
  
    The brawler stood there, chest heaving and forehead coated in sweat as she stared down at the punching bag. Her breaths were ragged and uneven as she tried to collect herself. The light in the training hall flickered briefly above her and was enough to draw her attention away from the floor. Her eyes met the mirrors at the far end of the room and she noticed just how terrible she looked. Yang’s hair was more disheveled than it had ever been in her life, there were bags under her eyes, and she looked so… Empty. The blonde slowly sat down on the floor, her back pressed to the punching bag as she pulled her knees upward. She couldn’t bear to look at her reflection any longer. Yang buried her face in her hands as she tried to collect her thoughts.  
  
    She’d lost. It wasn’t even a game and she’d lost. She’d lost Blake, and to Sun Wukong, the one person in the world that she couldn’t possibly accept defeat from. And yet, she had. It felt like it had been over before it even started. The things that Blake had said to her that night, the things that they’d done… It felt like none of that mattered. It seemed to her like perhaps all Blake had wanted was a convenient fuck all along. She didn’t seem the type to seek out something like that in the slightest, but what else was Yang to believe? They’d never spoken about it since. It was like Blake wouldn’t even give her the time of day since she and Sun had started going out. Weren’t they supposed to be best friends? Yang had fallen asleep every night with the thought in her mind that she would give anything to have things back the way they were.  
  
    The girl wasn’t one to have regrets. Everything that she did served a purpose, everything that she did was something that she meant. Confessing her feelings to Blake had been so monumental and terrifying, yet so genuine and long-awaited. Unfortunately, it was the one thing she was beginning to regret. What was the point of all of it? Was the night they’d spent together even worth it in the end? A part of Yang always told her that it was, but another part swore up and down that it wasn’t. She’d practically lost Blake entirely. All the raven-haired girl seemed to see was Sun Wukong… That was all she wanted to see. Tears began to nip at the blonde’s eyes and it only took a matter of seconds for her to begin bawling. Yang wasn’t typically the type to cry, but she couldn’t deny how good it felt to finally get all of it out. Her frame shook with every sharp inhale that she took, tear drops streaming her face. The brawler folded her arms atop her knees and rested her forehead against them, staring at the ground as she sobbed.  
  
     _‘Maybe in another life, huh?’_ Was the only coherent thought that continued to bounce around the inside of her head.


	5. V.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> grab your tissues

    Graduating from Beacon Academy had been no small task. The four years that Yang faced there were some of the hardest and most intense of her life. That said, they were also some of the most fun and exciting years as well. The experiences she’d had while at that school were amazing and prepared her for life as a huntress. Although, of all of the things she’d learned while she was there, nothing could’ve prepared her for today. It had been years and she still hadn’t gotten over Blake Belladonna. Her teammate, her best friend, her practical other half during their first leg of life at Beacon Academy. However, the only title that Yang was allowed to keep was being Blake’s teammate, as the rest of the labels soon fell into Sun Wukong’s lap. And now, here she was, the maid of honor at Blake’s wedding.  
  
    When she’d first heard the news, Yang did everything in her power to act happy for the faunus woman. It was one of the most difficult things she’d ever had to do. Yang could have sworn that she felt part of herself die that day. Biting back tears and putting on a big smile, the blonde had congratulated her friend and pulled her into a hug. As she clung to Blake, her bottom lip trembled in the same way it did when she would cry after a nightmare as a child. And when Blake had asked her to be the maid of honor, it was like salt in an open wound. She couldn’t turn her down, though. She thought it too petty and childish to refuse such an innocent request. Still, this meant Yang would have a front and center spot to watch the first and only woman she’d ever fallen in love with get handed off to some guy who she had never even considered worthy of having Blake.  
  
    She was surprised that she could smile through it all. Ever since she’d arrived with Ruby and Weiss at the wedding, she’d been smiling. Her cheeks were burning and it didn’t feel natural in the slightest, but it seemed like everyone else was completely fooled. She’d posed for pictures and greeted other guests and made small talk with those she hadn’t seen in a while. It was all smooth sailing up until the ceremony itself. Albeit a beautiful wedding that was being held on the beach of Menagerie, the setting did little to put her mind at ease. Even as the air became cooler and the sunset painted the sky several magnificent shades of pink and orange, negative emotions festered within the blonde. Yang could feel her palms coating themselves in sweat as the officiant asked everyone to rise. Those who were in their seats got up and turned their heads as the flower girl began to parade down the aisle.  
  
    The flower girl was the child of a family friend of the Belladonnas, as far as Yang knew; A small rabbit faunus with the cutest big, blue eyes and floppy white ears. She skipped down the aisle and left a trail of petals in her wake as she made her way to the altar. Ruby, who was one of the bridesmaids, managed to rein the child in and get her to stand somewhat still. Weiss smiled beside her before shooting a brief glance to Yang, as if making sure she was okay. Yang quickly averted her gaze and returned her attention to the aisle. The ring bearer came down the aisle next. A young boy with dark, slicked back hair that walked down the aisle with laser focus. Yang could hear her sister giggling over her shoulder as the little boy reached the altar. Once he had gotten situated with the best man, Neptune, Yang felt her heart rate double in speed.  
  
    Ghira Belladonna was at the end of the aisle in the largest suit Yang had ever seen. It fit him nicely, though, and he looked more put together than she’d ever seen. The sight alone almost brought a smile to her face. However, Blake emerged from the doors behind him and Yang felt her breath catch in her throat. There was a smile on her face that was more radiant than the sun. Ghira offered his arm to his daughter and the raven-haired girl gently took hold of it, allowing him to escort her down the aisle. Yang’s eyes were stuck on Blake. She was the epitome of beauty. The simple white gown that she had chosen was contrasted perfectly by her dark locks. Her perky, cat-like ears poked through the snow colored veil atop her head. Yang was at a complete loss. Blake had never looked so utterly perfect. Tears began to threaten her eyes and she figured it would be okay. After all, people cried at weddings all the time…  
  
    As Blake reached the altar and Ghira released her with a kiss on the cheek, Yang’s gaze briefly met Kali Belladonna’s. The faunus woman was bawling her eyes out and Ghira stood beside her, draping an arm over her shoulders. She sniffled as the officiant told everyone to take their seats. The brawler looked over at Sun, who wore the same stupid smile he always wore. He hadn’t even been moved to tears by the sheer beauty or joy that Blake brought? Yang bit the inside of her cheek. Sun didn’t seem emotional in the slightest, as usual. How could the groom not be overwhelmed on his own wedding day? Yang would expect a guy like Ren to be harder to move on such a special day, but Sun? The blonde wanted to wipe the floor with him no matter what he did… The burning of her anger was disrupted by the officiant’s request for everyone to take a seat. Everyone did so accordingly and Yang tried to fix her attention to the words of welcome.  
  
    “Good evening, friends, family, and loved ones of the bride and groom… Welcome and thank you all for being here on this very important day,” The minister started, adjusting his glasses, “We are gathered here today to celebrate the love between Sun Wukong and Blake Belladonna by joining them in marriage.”  
  
    These words cut Yang like a knife. Her grip on the flowers in her hand tightened and she could almost feel Weiss’ gaze drilling holes in the back of her head. The heiress, much like her teammate, hadn’t changed much since their days at the Academy.  
  
    “Love is our purpose in being here… It is the essence of who we are. But what does it mean to love someone? Well, to love someone is to see things that others do not. Love is to see beneath the surface of another, to see the qualities that make our beloved special to us. Love is not just a word; It is an action. It is not just something you say, it is something you do. Love is genuine and honest, compassionate and kind, patient and blind. And most importantly; Love never dies.” He monologued, the sound of Kali Belladonna’s sniffles falling upon Yang’s ears once more.  
  
    As much as Yang hated how cheesy all of these words felt, he was right about the one thing that Yang wished wasn’t true; Love never dies. Ever since the first moment she’d laid eyes on Blake, she’d been hooked. Her infatuation with her best friend only seemed to grow the more that they spent time together. With every sparring practice, every late night study session, every stupid movie night, or whatever else they had planned, Yang felt her love for Blake becoming stronger. When it had finally boiled over, the payoff was bleak. One night with Blake in exchange for the courage that it had taken her countless months to build up. One night that Blake didn’t even remember. And still, after all of this time, Yang’s love for her had never faltered. Her adoration for the faunus hadn’t diminished in the slightest. It was for that very reason that she was choking back her tears. Not out of joy for the bride and groom—But out of the pain that accompanied loss.  
  
    “And there are several types of love. Love is not exclusively romantic. There are so many kinds of love, all of which are represented here today. Romantic love, love among friends, among family… Not only do Sun and Blake love one another romantically, but they also love one another as best friends. That love and enjoyment of each other as best friends will sustain them through their marriage. Additionally, the collective love from all of you who have attended today will help sustain and support the promises that they will make tonight.” The man said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  
  
    Yang had never thought of Sun as Blake’s best friend. Even though it had been so glaringly obvious that she had been replaced by the man, she refused to accept it. In doing so, she blinded herself from the reality that it had already happened. Yang had unintentionally distanced herself from Blake and allowed Sun to step in and take her place. Regret after regret began to crash over her like a tidal wave. If she weren’t standing front and center for their ceremony, Yang would have taken off and run all the way back to their hotel room by now. The reality of everything was too much to face—That was why she’d never faced it in the first place.  
  
    “You two will be promising, before all of these people that you love, that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives and that you will do everything in your power to honor the promises you are making here tonight. As for your loved ones, they will also do everything in their power to try to help you hold up your end of the bargain.” There was a small chorus of laughs and whistles from the audience on Sun’s side.  
  
    Yang nearly rolled her eyes, but felt an aching form in her chest when the minister spoke again, “The bride and groom will now exchange their vows, starting with the groom.”  
  
    The blonde couldn’t do it. There was no way that she could bring herself to listen to the things that Sun and Blake were about to say to each other. Hearing them gush over one another would undoubtedly hurt more than anything else she’d have to witness tonight, even their kiss. Yang had deemed herself strong enough to look on at that, but not nearly tough enough to pay attention to their vows. She knew how much of a bookworm Blake was and she could conclude that the faunus was probably as great a writer as she was a reader. Frankly, Yang wasn’t interested in hearing the words that been put together for Sun. She could only stand there and wish that she was on that altar beside Blake more than anything. Her eyes were watering furiously as she attempted to keep herself together. It was only a bit longer until the reception. Once it was time, she could hurry into the bathroom and bawl her eyes out until her heart’s content.  
  
    Thankfully, she had only just tuned back in when the infamous words were spouted, “You may now kiss the bride.”  
  
    Lilac eyes were still riveted to the floor as everyone in the audience cheered. Kali Belladonna’s choked sobs and a few loud hollers and whistles were the only distinct noise to be heard. Yang felt a small nudge on the back of her arm and looked at Weiss, who was clapping her hands and looking at her teammate with concern. She offered a weak smile to the shorter woman and turned back to the altar.  
  
    “Ladies and gentlemen, I now introduce you to Sun and Blake Wukong,” The officiant announced as he joined in on the applause.  
  
    Blake and Sun began to make their way off of the altar, hand in hand. They lead the guests toward the building that was only a few hundred feet away to begin the reception. Ghira kept his arm around his wife, who was still absolutely hysterical. Yang began to walk after the group of people when she felt a hand wrap around her bicep and tug her back.  
  
    “H-Hey!” She yelped, turning over her shoulder to see Weiss and her younger sister.  
  
    Ruby’s face was riddled with concern while Weiss sported a look that was quite stern. The contrast between the pair was something that never faded. Normally, it would be enough to get Yang to crack a bit of a smile. Today, however, was an exception.  
  
    “Yang,” Ruby started, her voice soft, “I just wanted to say that I’m proud of you… You’re really strong for doing all of this, you know.”  
  
    Her sister’s words alone were nearly enough to break the floodgates that had formed behind her eyes. Thankfully, Weiss placed a hand on her shoulder and began to play the typical bad cop that she did.  
  
    “Listen to me, Yang. I know this hurts, but you’re doing superb. Only a bit longer and then we’ll be back at the hotel. Okay? And, if you get too antsy, I’ll pretend to have a headache and we can head back early.” Weiss told her.  
  
    Her bottom lip began to tremble at the kindness she was being shown and she yanked both girls into a bear hug, “Thanks, guys. I love you.”  
  
    “We love you too, Yang!” Ruby said excitedly, “Now, come on! Let’s go find some cookies!”  
  
    Weiss groaned and took Ruby’s hand. The two began to walk up toward the building and Yang followed suit. Ruby reached the doors first, holding them open for her girlfriend and her sister. Weiss smiled at her as she entered the building and Yang ruffled her hair. Ruby scowled and pushed Yang’s hand away as she moved away from the door and began trying to fix her now disheveled locks. The sound of music and chatter filled the larger room down the hall and the trio headed in that direction. When they entered the reception hall, Yang looked at the assortment of food and drinks. Tables with heaping amounts of food lined both sides of the hall and guests were already piling the stuff onto their plates.  
  
    “All of the cookies are going to be gone!” Ruby exclaimed as she took off toward the nearest table.  
  
    Yang laughed weakly and Weiss sighed, “I swear, some things never change.”  
  
    “You’ve got that right.” Yang concurred as she walked alongside Weiss, who seemed remarkably at ease for an event like this, “So, when are you and Rubes gonna tie the knot?”  
  
    Weiss looked at her with an expression that could only be described as absolutely mortified, “W-What? I—We’ve only been together for a year or so.”  
  
    “Why not?” Yang nudged Weiss in the arm with her elbow, “You don’t think my sister is marriage material, Schnee?”  
  
    “I said nothing of the sort!” Weiss argued, picking up a plate as they arrived at the buffet table, “I just… I think that marriage is quite a significant step in any relationship. Truthfully, I’m surprised that even Sun and Blake have decided to take on such a commitment.”  
  
    Yang’s expression softened again and she looked down at the table before her, “Yeah. Me too.”  
  
    The heiress seemed to notice the sudden shift in behavior and she nodded to the variety of food before them, “Look, they’ve got pasta!”  
  
    The subject change was appreciated, despite the weak attempt. Yang went about dishing up her plate and came to a stop at the end of the buffet table. There was a specific seating arrangement for each of the tables and Weiss would probably know it better than anyone. Waiting for the white-haired woman, Yang’s eyes briefly lingered to the table that housed Sun and Blake, as well as the parents of the bride and groom. They had already cracked open a bottle of champagne and appeared to be having the time of their lives. Her attention snapped back to Weiss, who had managed to fetch Ruby and was now requesting that Yang follow her. The Schnee woman was the image of poised despite practically dragging Ruby along by the arm and clutching a plate filled with food in her other hand. She lead them confidently to a table right beside Sun and Blake’s, sitting down and smiling at the centerpiece on the table.  
  
    “I really do appreciate how well they decorated for the occasion,” Weiss noted as she admired the setup, “I love weddings.”  
  
    Yang picked up the bottle of wine that was situated on the table, pouring herself a glass and beginning to sip at it instantly. Wine was not her favorite by any means, but if it got her feeling warm and fuzzy, then so be it. After a few minutes of Weiss chewing out Ruby for only getting a spoonful of pasta and covering the rest of her plate in cookies, the remaining members of Team JNPR took their seats at the table.  
  
    “Hey, everyone,” Jaune greeted them as he sat down beside Weiss.  
  
    “Hey, guys!” Nora said cheerily, “How’s it going? Anyone drunk yet? Don’t get drunk without me!”  
  
    “Nora, the reception has been in swing for less than an hour.” Ren told her as he sat down beside Jaune, leaving the red-head to plop down next to Yang.  
  
    “Listen, all I’m saying is that great things can be accomplished in less than an hour… Like getting drunk! Yang’s got the right idea,” The bubbly woman pointed out, giving Yang a thumbs up.  
  
    Yang chuckled softly, “It’s my first drink of the night.”  
  
    “Yeah, first of many!” Nora encouraged, slamming her fists on the table.  
  
    “Nora,” Ren sighed as he began to mix up his salad with a fork, “We talked about this.”  
  
    “Right, right,” The blue-eyed woman sighed, “Behave myself until the after party.”  
  
    “After party?” Ruby asked, a mouthful of cookies muffling her words.  
  
    Jaune nodded, “Yeah! Neptune’s having a little get together in his room back at the hotel. He said we’re all invited!”  
  
    “Who’s all going?” Weiss wanted to know.  
  
    “Me, Ren and Nora, Neptune, CFVY, the other half of SSSN, and you guys if you decide to come!” Jaune answered with a smile.  
  
    “Hard pass,” Yang muttered as she took another drink of wine.  
  
    Jaune’s expression softened and he frowned, “Well, if you change your mind, the offer still stands! He’s on the third floor, room…”  
  
    “Room three fourteen.” Ren chimed in.  
  
    “Room three fourteen!” Jaune repeated, a smile and a nod punctuating his echo.  
  
    “We’ll certainly keep it in mind. Thank you for the invite,” Weiss said politely, taking a drink of water.  
  
    Yang hoped that she was only being polite. The last thing that she wanted was to go to an after party that was technically celebrating the marriage of the woman she loved—The marriage that wasn’t to her. She finished off her first glass of wine and began pouring a second glass, her eyes fixed to the table as everyone around her made conversation. Somewhere along the way, Neptune arrived to the table and joined the festivities. Yang was far too occupied in her thoughts to eat or even take part in their discussion. Every now and then, she’d tune in for a moment only to tune right back out. Perhaps the rest of the night would be this way and then she’d be free to collapse in her bed back at the hotel… For now, Yang could only hope.  
  


* * *

  
    Much to her surprise, the bride and groom’s first dance was far less excruciating than Yang thought it’d be. Maybe it was seeing Sun stuffed into a white suit with an actual shirt, or maybe it was the way that Kali Belladonna had started crying again. Whatever it was, Yang was grateful that it didn’t hurt nearly as bad as she’d expected. At the end of it all, she even partook in the applause before returning to her glass of wine. The blonde went to take a sip when she felt Weiss’ fingers close around her wrist. The heiress stood above Yang and looked down at her expectantly.  
  
    “What?” Yang asked, prompting Weiss to scowl at her.  
  
    “Just one dance. Come on. You’ve gotta get on your feet for a bit or that alcohol is going to hit you like a train, and frankly, I don’t want to carry you back to the hotel.” Weiss said sternly.  
  
    Yang knew there was no sense in arguing with a Schnee, so she rose to her feet and followed Weiss onto the dance floor. And, of course, Weiss was right. A small bout of lightheadedness hit Yang and she fought it off as they arrived at the edge of the dance floor, followed by a pleasant warm and fuzzy sensation in her chest. She’d at least gotten the right amount of buzzed. Weiss rested her hands on Yang’s shoulders and the brawler placed her hands on Weiss’ hips. They stepped in time to the music that was currently playing. There were no lyrics, but it was soft and somewhat upbeat. Nothing too fast, but nothing too slow.  
  
    Weiss giggled and shook her head, “You’re already a better dancer than Ruby.”  
  
    “I’m going to tell her you said that,” Yang smirked, “You’ll be sleeping on the pull-out mattress when we get back.”  
  
    The white-haired woman swatted Yang on the shoulder and rolled her eyes, “Don’t you dare. It’s punishment enough that I’ll have to try to sleep beside her after she’s eaten all of those cookies. She’s going to be up all night.”  
  
    “Mmm… Fair enough.” She chuckled.  
  
    “Besides…” Weiss started again, “We both know it’s true.”  
  
    Yang couldn’t help but laugh again, “Alright, alright. You raise a fair point. But remember, it’s only a matter of time before she comes over here and I hand you off to her.”  
  
    “Oh, I know. And this time I’ve fully prepared myself. These heels are far too high for her to step on, and I’ve memorized her usual pattern of stomping, so I know what to avoid.” She said, bringing a finger to her temple and tapping twice.  
  
    “Preparing for dancing with Ruby in the same way that you prepare for battle? Interesting.” Yang remarked, prompting another giggle from Weiss.  
  
    “I never even realized,” Weiss admitted, her attention shifting outward as the song picked up briefly, “Oh, my.”  
  
    “What?” Yang asked as she sped up her steps to match her partner’s.  
  
    “People are switching off partners.” She answered.  
  
    “I’m going to sit down—“  
  
    Before she could even get the rest of her words out, Ruby had swooped in and snatched up her partner. Yang staggered back a bit, dumbfounded as her sister poked her head over Weiss’ shoulder and stuck her tongue out. Yang had half a mind to stick her tongue out back at her sibling, but she felt herself being grabbed by the arm and whirled around. The blonde came face-to-face with Blake and her eyes went as wide as saucers. Yang felt her heart rate increase tenfold as the faunus wrapped her arms around her neck. She pulled Yang in a bit closer and smiled.  
  
    “I feel like I’ve hardly seen you tonight.” Blake said, her voice soft as the music slowed down once again.  
  
    “It’s been a lot different from rehearsal… You know, now that everyone is here.” Yang managed to reply.  
  
    Her hands on Blake’s waist felt incredibly weird now. It was as though she shouldn’t touch her because she belonged to Sun. Still, there was the feeling in her fingertips that felt like electricity was coursing through her veins every time she touched Blake. Yang hated this more than anything. Nothing would ever be the same between she and Blake. She wanted so badly to go back to the night that she had confessed her love to the faunus. She wanted to do it all over again; She wanted to wake up and chase after Blake, to admit her feelings to the girl right in front of Sun… But she hadn’t. And now, she would live the rest of her life with the regret that accompanied knowing that. A wave of nausea surged through the blonde and she wanted to turn around and run off of the dance floor.  
  
    Blake smiled, her grin doing wonders to calm the brawler. How was it possible that even now, she still had this effect on Yang? She stared at her for a moment, though it felt like an eternity. Her makeup was light and natural looking, her lashes long and dark. Her amber eyes were as stunning as ever and every single one of her features looked so delicate and beautiful. Yang could feel her breath catching in her throat and much to her relief, Blake finally spoke up to pull her from the trance that she’d been put in.  
  
    “You haven’t felt overwhelmed at all, have you?” The raven-haired woman asked.  
  
    Yang shook her head, “No, not at all. It’s running real smooth.”  
  
    That wasn’t entirely a lie. The wedding was running notably smooth. It was just that Yang had felt overwhelmed every thirty seconds due to the crushing realization that she had just lost the love of her life. Even though the woman was standing right in front of her, it didn’t matter. She had lost her and she’d never get her back. Nausea threatened Yang again, but one look at Blake settled her stomach and focused her in purely on the faunus’ magnificence.  
  
    “I’m glad. Surprisingly enough, I haven’t felt stressed at all since it started.” Blake laughed lightly, “It’s kind of like in the books… It’s all going so well.”  
  
    A light blush nipped at Blake’s cheeks like it always did when she got to talking about her romance novels. Yang couldn’t help but smile. It melted her heart every single time that she saw it. Seeing Blake blush was one of those things that never got old, something she would never tire of… Something she would probably see less and less of, now. Why couldn’t her brain stop looping back to the most depressing parts of it all? Yang genuinely wanted to stop acknowledging every horrible thing about tonight, but it was like she was stuck in a mindset that would never go away.  
  
    “Well, good.” Yang finally said, “You deserve it.”  
  
    Blake pulled her in closer and rested her head on her shoulder, as if hugging her while they moved atop the dance floor. She could feel tears wetting her collarbone and she lifted a brow. Yang looked down at the weepy faunus and nudged her gently in the side.  
  
    “Blake? What’s wrong?” She asked.  
  
    Blake looked up with watery eyes and shook her head, “Nothing, I just… I’m really grateful for you, Yang. I love you.”  
  
    It felt like a stake through her heart. She knew exactly how Blake meant it now. It wasn’t the same as it was back then, but she still said it. Yang couldn’t blame her… It wasn’t like she knew that Yang was still hopelessly in love with her. It wasn’t like she even knew that she once professed her love to Yang in the first place. Yet, those three little words hurt more than anything she’d heard that night.  
  
    “I love you too,” She said quietly, resting her chin atop Blake’s head for what would probably be the last time.  
  
    Why? Why was she thinking like that? It wasn’t like Blake had died. She’d only gotten married to someone else. She’d still be a part of Team RWBY, she’d still be a huntress, she’d still be Blake. Even if she was Blake Wukong, now, she was still the same person that Yang and the rest of her teammates had come to know and love. This wasn’t the end all be all. So, why did it feel that way?  
  
    Yang wanted to speak up. She wanted to say anything to Blake, but a lump had formed in her throat and had caused her to remain silent. The song picked up slightly in the same way it had when she was dancing with Weiss. Yang looked around and Blake lifted her head, smiling at her before letting her go. The blonde was almost dazed as she attempted to make her way off of the dance floor. Unfortunately, a hulking figure appeared before her and swept her up into the steps of a dance. When she finally came out of her odd haze, Yang realized that hulking figure was none other than Ghira Belladonna.  
  
    “Fun night?” Ghira asked, his sheer size allowing him practically carry Yang through the dance.  
  
    The blonde smiled weakly in response. Ghira nodded and led her in a small turn before pulling her a bit closer. The puma faunus let out a sigh and looked at Yang with an expression of genuine concern. Despite how massive and intimidating the chieftain seemed, he was a big softie at heart. Kali Belladonna had told her that when she'd first met him, but in time she'd come to know it to be true on her own. Ghira had always been kind to her when she was around and had even treated her as though she were part of the Belladonna family herself. That was something Yang would always be grateful for.  
  
    “I know how hard this must be for you, Yang…” The man started, “I’ve seen the way you look at my daughter all these years.”  
  
    The brawler felt her face light up instantly. She wasn’t typically one to be embarrassed, but her face had changed to a deep shade of red. The fact that Ghira Belladonna knew that Yang was completely infatuated with his daughter was almost too much to bear. How long had he known? Since he’d met her? She could hardly believe her ears.  
  
    “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Ghira told her with a belly laugh that Yang swore only dads were capable of, “It’s something you notice as a parent… Honestly, I always thought that you two would end up together.”  
  
    “R-Really?” Yang asked, her voice doing little to veil her shock.  
  
    Ghira nodded, “I did. I even got Kali to think so for a brief time.”  
  
    “I never said anything,” Yang blurted out, suddenly feeling very small.  
  
    “Everything happens for a reason, Yang.” The faunus man said, “Before I met Kali, I thought I’d end up with a fiery caracal woman from the upper class portion of Kuo Kuana… Here I am now. I don’t regret a thing.”  
  
    She looked at him with a bit of a frown, “So, you’re saying this regret is only temporary?”  
  
    “I won’t make any promises… But I think so.” Ghira told her with a reassuring smile.  
  
    For some reason, it did put her mind a bit at ease. There was something about the Belladonnas that made Yang feel better. It was the strangest thing, but it was eerily similar to the way that her own family helped to relax her. Well, aside from her mother. Yang looked at Ghira and smiled.  
  
    “Thank you… I’ll keep that in mind.”


	6. VI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for being so mean in the last chapter ;w; here is a much nicer chapter for you<3

    “What do you _mean_ you have to quit Team RWBY?” Ruby’s voice was frantic and distraught as she paced the floor of the apartment.  
  
    Blake had come over that morning with the news that she needed to leave the team. Yang had arrived as fast as she could, as her apartment was a bit of a drive away. Weiss and Ruby were already hot on the case and trying to get as much information as they could. Blake, however, was a stoic subject. Yang could tell that there was something she wasn’t giving up. She hadn’t cried, she hadn’t left, and she hadn’t given them a solid reason as to why she’d leave the team. Nothing had happened that would cause her to leave the team. In fact, things had been relatively smooth sailing ever since they graduated Beacon Academy. They’d been a team ever since—And that was seven years ago, now.  
  
    “I mean that I can’t be apart of Team RWBY, anymore. I know that this must be hard to understand or comprehend, but—“  
  
    “Is there _another_ team or something?!” Ruby demanded to know as Weiss’ hand came into contact with her shoulder, as if trying to calm her.  
  
    Blake almost giggled, “No, no. There’s no other team.”  
  
    “You and Sun are going AWOL, aren’t you?” Her sister accused, folding her arms over her chest, “You’re making your own huntsman group but it’s just the two of you, and you’re going to invite Neptune and _his_ girlfriend and—“  
  
    “Ruby, I don’t think that’s what Blake is going to do.” Weiss interrupted as she gave Ruby’s shoulder a light squeeze.  
  
    “Then I don’t get it!” Ruby admitted defeat as she plopped onto the white loveseat behind her, her shoulders visibly slumping, “I’ve always tried to be a good team leader and make sure that everyone on Team RWBY is happy… I don’t know why Blake would leave.”  
  
    “Oh, Ruby.” The heiress said as she sat down beside her and placed a hand on her thigh, “You’re a wonderful team leader. You always have been. Blake has her reasons, but you’re not one of them. Right, Blake?”  
  
    Blake shook her head, “Of course not, Ruby. You’ve been a great leader. If I ever had any qualms with you being the leader, I would have voiced them a long time ago.”  
  
    “You promise?” Ruby asked, looking up at Blake.  
  
    “I promise.” The cat faunus nodded.  
  
    “Yang, you’ve been awfully quiet.” Weiss noted as she directed the attention of the other two toward the blonde.  
  
    Yang hadn’t wanted to get involved, truthfully. If Blake wanted to leave Team RWBY to go run off with Sun, so be it. She couldn’t help feeling weird about the fact that Blake wouldn’t tell them what was going on. If there was a reason behind it, then she should let them know what was going on. Otherwise they’d be running around as Team RWY _and_ not even knowing why they had lost one. The brawler shrugged her shoulders and pushed herself away from the wall, walking closer to the living space.  
  
    “I don’t know what there is for me to say. I mean, it’s obvious that huntsman teams don’t last forever, but I didn’t think we’d disband so soon… We’re only twenty five.” Yang finally spoke up.  
  
    “And twenty three,” Ruby added.  
  
    “Yeah, and twenty three.” Yang humored her sister as she tucked her hands into the pockets of her bomber jacket, “I’m mostly concerned over why you won’t give us the reason why.”  
  
    The behavior that Blake was demonstrating now was incredibly reminiscent of the behavior she’d shown when they’d first arrived at Beacon. The raven-haired girl kept to herself and was secretive, not even revealing that she was a faunus until weeks into her friendship with the rest of her teammates. That had been a shocking revelation in itself and one that had hurt Yang, as she considered herself the closest to Blake. Now that they were older, she felt like she had lost almost all of the closeness she once shared with the woman. It had almost become the norm for Yang to have no idea where Blake was or what she was doing or what she had done when they weren’t around one another. Things that the faunus used to share with Yang had become reserved for Sun only. It was something that the blonde woman had seen coming, but never really accepted despite its obvious happening.  
  
    “I, uh,” Blake laughed nervously and rested her hands on the sides of the armchair that she was sitting in.  
  
    Her laugh, though cute, also worried Yang. Blake was always articulate if she had something to say. There was hardly ever any beating around the bush when she needed to talk to someone, especially Yang. The woman was always to the point and had a purpose to say what she would. The fact that she had laughed and seemed to be gripping for words in her head was incredibly odd to Yang. This entire situation was making her nervous, filling her with a looming sense of dread. Weiss’ face had been twisted into a thoughtful expression for the past few minutes and she finally looked at Blake with wide eyes. Still, Yang was just as confused as she was when she’d arrived—And it seemed that Ruby was, too.  
  
    “What?!” Ruby asked Weiss, “What is it?!”  
  
    The white-haired woman hesitated and looked at Blake in disbelief, as if trying to elicit a response from the faunus. Blake shifted in her seat and gave another giggle. Her cheeks turned red and she finally shrugged her shoulders.  
  
    “I wanted it to be a surprise, but… I suppose there’s no harm in telling you guys,” Blake started.  
  
    “Then _tell_ us!” Yang’s younger sister urged, sticking her arms out and gesturing with exaggeration.  
  
    Yang bit her bottom lip. This excuse better be a good one. Maybe if she was lucky, Blake and Sun would be getting a divorce. It was a terrible thought to have and an even worse thing to want, but Yang couldn’t help feeling the way she did. Nothing had changed since the day they’d gotten married. She’d always wished she were in Sun’s shoes. If that moron had been brave enough to pursue Blake and ask her to be his wife, why couldn’t she have been? Her hands clenched into fists and the soft expression that took over her teammate’s face was unlike anything she’d ever seen before.  
  
    “I’m going to be a mother,” Blake finally answered, “I’m pregnant.”  
  
    Ruby’s jaw dropped and Weiss smiled from ear to ear. Yang suddenly felt very sick, the same way she had on Sun and Blake’s wedding day. This time, though, despite looking at Blake, she wasn’t feeling any better. She was having Sun Wukong’s child. Yang wanted to pass out. The mere notion that there could be a tiny Sun running around and raising hell was too much for her to bear. One Sun was bad enough… But the possibility that there could be two, now? Yang shuddered.  
  
    “Blake! That’s amazing!” Weiss said as she got to her feet and hurried over to hug her, “I can’t believe it!”  
  
    “What?” Ruby seemed to be in total disbelief, as though she couldn’t even comprehend what Blake had told her.  
  
    “How long have you known? This is so exciting!” The heiress inquired, releasing Blake from their embrace.  
  
    Blake smiled, “We found out about a month ago, actually.”  
  
    The fact that Blake had made a habit out of referring to she and Sun as a collective “we” was irritating. It was something that had started alongside their relationship. The feline faunus never did it at first, as Sun was always the one to address he and Blake as “we” when brought up in conversation. Unfortunately, it ended up rubbing off on Blake and by the time that they were married, she was using it just as frequently as he was. Any time that plans were to be made, it was always waiting to see if we were available to go or what we wanted to do. It didn’t bother Yang nearly as much when her sister and Weiss did it. But, naturally, whenever Sun and Blake partook in the act of speaking in such a way, it didn’t sit well with her.  
  
    “And you didn’t tell us?!” The team leader cried as her arms once again shot outward.  
  
    “I wanted it to be a surprise!” Blake laughed, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
    “This is so exciting!” Weiss chirped again, “Do you know the gender yet?”  
  
    The amber-eyed woman shook her head, “Not yet. But we’ll find out in a few more weeks!”  
  
    “If it’s a girl, what are you going to name it? Oh! Or what if it’s a boy? Have you thought of names?” Weiss asked like her life depended on it, firing off question after question.  
  
    “If it’s a boy you could name him Gambol! Or Shroud! Or—“  
  
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Ruby. You should name him something that flows off of the tongue nicely! Perhaps he could even take Sun’s name.” The white-haired woman suggested.  
  
    Again, Yang found herself slightly frightened by the thought of a duplicate of Sun running around. If anything, she hoped that this child would turn out to be like Blake. Kids were enough of a nuisance on their own. If they ended up having a child that was as quiet as Blake was, it would be a blessing. Yang had heard stories of how low maintenance her teammate was as a child from the Belladonnas back in the day. It seemed that the cat faunus stuck to her own devices and entertained herself, taking an early interest in books and never pulling her nose out of them. This, of course, was still true when she’d met Yang and the rest of what would become Team RWBY.  
  
    Yang shook her head, “Whatever you decide to do, just don’t let _Sun_ name it.”  
  
    Blake’s expression went from one of elation to one that confused the blonde woman. It was almost as if she were confused with a hint of hurt thrown into the mix. Yang hadn’t intended to come off so cold, but this news was overwhelming. She found it oddly funny, as she wasn’t even the one expecting the child. Nonetheless, it felt like this was an important thing that Yang would undoubtedly be apart of. Even if it wasn’t by blood or anything, Blake and Sun would probably expect Team RWBY to act as the child’s aunts. It wasn’t that Yang had a problem with that or anything… It wasn’t like she even knew the kid yet. It was just that this meant she’d have to spend a lot more time around Sun and maybe even around a potential mini-Sun. It was all a lot to take in.  
  
    “Yang,” Weiss said in a stern voice, the look on her face clearly illustrating her discontent.  
  
    “No, she’s right,” Blake forced a laugh, “He would probably want to name it something goofy, anyway.”  
  
    The awkward tension felt incredibly thick. Yang hadn’t meant for it to be like this. It wasn’t even a sentence that she’d really wanted to say, it was more of an accidental blurt. The brawler hardly ever found herself spouting off her inner dialogue. She usually had far better self control than this. However, when her emotions got overwhelming, she could occasionally say some things that would be considered better left unsaid. Within her own mind, she cursed her temper and the way that she was behaving. It was childish to let her feelings get the better of her and overshadow the joy of one of her dearest friends.  
  
    Yet, it felt completely beyond her control.

* * *

    It surprised Yang more than anyone else when Blake’s pregnancy drew them closer together. Instead of working as a huntress, Yang had basically taken up accompanying Blake anywhere and everywhere. Ruby and Weiss continued to take on smaller jobs in the absence of Yang and Sun was working alongside the rest of his team to scrounge up a comfortable amount of savings for the new addition to the family. Earlier on, Yang had thought that this would be the final wedge driven between she and Blake, but she was sorely mistaken. They spent every single day together. The faunus woman often spent the night at Yang’s apartment, enjoying dinner with her former teammate and taking up all of the space on the couch.  
  
    What was even more surprising, though, was the fact that Yang genuinely didn’t mind. Being around Blake every single day was doing wonders for her. The faunus hardly ever talked about Sun when they were occupied with other topics or tasks at hand and as such, she was finding the time spent with Blake to be therapeutic. Despite watching as Blake progressed further and further into the stages of carrying Sun’s child, Yang no longer seemed to care. It was as though she no longer saw the faunus woman as Blake Wukong, instead viewing her once again as Blake Belladonna. This was dangerous for Yang and she had acknowledged it as soon as the revelation hit her… But in all honesty, she was too infatuated with Blake’s presence to even care. It was like old times, except they now often discussed the coming bundle of joy.  
  
    Like tonight, for instance. Yang had woken up in the middle of her slumber to the sound of Blake rummaging through the refrigerator for a midnight snack. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary at this point, but it had still gotten her up. She sat up on the couch, as Blake occupied her bed for the time being, squinting over at the kitchen. A pair of glowing, cat-like eyes stared back at her from the darkness and she heard the refrigerator door click the rest of the way shut. Yang laughed at the sight of her best friend getting caught in the act.

    “Hey, grab me a beer, will ya?” Yang requested as she turned to face forward on the couch, seating herself cross-legged.  
  
    “It’s a little late, isn’t it?” Blake’s voice came from the kitchen mere seconds before she reopened the fridge, its light illuminating the front of her body.  
  
    The blonde snorted, “I could ask you the same question.”  
  
    “Mmm…” Blake hummed, “Touché.”  
  
    The raven-haired woman sashayed out of the kitchen and over to Yang. She plopped down on the couch beside her. The cat faunus handed off the bottle to her friend and tugged the blanket onto her lap. Yang cracked open the bottle with the fingers of her metallic hand, tossing the cap onto the coffee table. She took a few swigs before setting the bottle in her lap and resting her head on the back of the couch to look upward at the ceiling. The quiet sound of Blake’s snacking on a popsicle occupying the space between them.  
  
    “You’re not exhausted?” Yang wanted to know, her fingers drumming gently along the neck of the bottle in her hands.  
  
    The faunus shook her head, “I’m exhausted, yes. But I’m also hungry.”  
  
    “Is insomnia like, a thing that happens?” She asked.  
  
    “Apparently,” Blake sighed, “At least, my mom says it is.”  
  
    “I’m not surprised. I don’t know how well I’d sleep knowing there’s a little person chilling out in my guts.” Yang replied, earning a laugh from Blake.  
  
    “Well don’t phrase it like _that_. Now _I_ feel weird about it.” She nudged Blake’s arm softly and went back to working on her popsicle.  
  
    Yang chuckled, “I mean, it _is_ weird. But we don’t have to talk about the little person… And don’t think I’m not still pissed that you won’t tell us whether or not the little person is a boy or a girl.”  
  
    “None of you like surprises, huh?” Blake teased as she watched Yang bring the bottle to her lips, “She’s a girl.”  
  
    Yang nearly spit her beer onto her lap. She’d only prodded because she was under the impression that Blake would make them wait until the day the kid was born. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at Blake and earned another melodious laugh from the woman. The amber-eyed faunus pulled the popsicle stick from her mouth and pointed it at Yang as she laughed.  
  
    “You should see your face!” She said, causing Yang to start laughing with her.  
  
    “I, just… I didn’t think you’d actually tell me,” Yang admitted, running a hand through her hair, “So, it’s a girl… Wow. I just lost so many bets.”  
  
    Blake gave her a playful push of the arm and the blonde lifted her bottle for another sip of beer, “I don’t know how I feel about you placing wagers on my unborn child.”  
  
    Yang swallowed her mouthful and nodded at her friend, “What she doesn’t know won’t kill her, come on.”  
  
    “Her name is Ember.” Blake added, causing Yang’s mouth to hang open again as she gawked at her.  
  
    “How many more surprises are you going to spoil, Blake?” Yang asked.  
  
    She rolled her eyes, “Oh, like you’re sad about it. You’re the only one who knows besides me and Sun, now.”  
  
    Yang drank in that tidbit of information for a moment. It was like old times, when she only entrusted certain information to Yang when she had something to get off of her chest. She appreciated that a lot. A smile crossed her face and she tapped her finger against the lip of the beer bottle. She could hardly believe this. It felt surreal, like she was closest to Blake again. Her heart ached in her chest, but in the most peculiar bittersweet way.  
  
    “Why Ember?” She questioned, brows creasing slightly in thought.  
  
    Blake reached out and took Yang’s arm, pulling it into her lap and resting it atop the blanket. Yang watched her curiously and lifted one of her eyebrows in confusion. With a few raps against the metal with one of her knuckles, Blake smiled at Yang.  
  
    “I had to get creative. I couldn’t just name her Yang, it'd be too obvious.” The raven-haired woman informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.  
  
    Yang blinked hard, “Wait. You named her Ember like… After my gauntlets? After Ember Celica?”  
  
    Blake nodded at her in response.  
  
    “Blake, that’s…” She trailed off, laughing a bit, “That’s insane… That’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard.”  
  
    “Well, I’m glad it has the Yang Xiao Long seal of approval.” Blake told her as she placed her hand back in her own lap and patted the top of it gently.  
  
    Lilac eyes found their way down to the robotic appendage and she closed and opened her hand a few times. Even though she hadn’t named her daughter after Yang, she’d still named her after a massive part of Yang’s life. After all, Ember Celica was her weapon of choice—And a huntsman’s weapon was their livelihood. Even though Yang had lost her real arm, her weapons were still viable and if anything, had grown stronger through the addition of her robotic arm. Not only that, but she’d saved the life of her best friend. That was something that she would never regret.  
  
    “I don’t know what to say,” Yang confessed, her palms opening as she looked down at them.  
  
    “You don’t have to say anything.” Blake assured her as she nudged gently at her legs with her fingers.  
  
    Yang slid them off of the couch, but Blake gestured to her to bring them back up. Resting her back against the arm of the sofa, she brought her legs up to rest on the cushions before getting drilled in the face with a pillow. When it fell into her lap, her eyes found a smug-looking Blake gazing back at her. She tucked the pillow behind her back and wiggled further down, now slouched as she sat with her legs draped across Blake’s lap. The cat faunus pushed one of her legs off of the couch, crawling between her legs and lying down on her back atop Yang. Yang laughed as she gave Blake a gentle nudge.  
  
    “God, Blake, you’re like a damn heater.” The blonde remarked.  
  
    Blake sleepily shrugged her shoulders and let her head loll to one side. Her hair fell in messy ribbons of black around her face, which Yang gingerly pushed behind her ears with her hand before draping it over the back of the sofa. Blake’s breathing was slow and relaxed as she began to drift off to sleep. The brawler sighed softly as she watched her succumb to her exhaustion. It was a relief that she’d gotten to sleep, but Yang was almost certain that she wouldn’t get any. Not that it mattered—She could always get some tomorrow while Blake was up. As she stared up at the ceiling, she felt Blake stirring a bit in her slumber. Yang looked down at her as she pulled her arm upward, wrapping her arms around it and pressing her cheek to it.  
  
    “Pssh…” Yang huffed quietly to herself as she resisted the urge to smile, tilting her head back up toward the ceiling and closing her eyes.  
  
    It was nice to feel like things were back to normal…


	7. VII.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sorry

    Ember was more beautiful than anything Yang had ever seen in her life. Her eyes were shut, but her lashes were already remarkably long and dark. There was a thin layer of golden peach fuzz on top of her head, accompanied by a pair of tiny cat-like ears in the same shade of yellow. Everything about her was completely perfect. She was also the tiniest thing Yang had ever seen in her life. When Blake had offered to let Yang hold her, the brawler had almost panicked. She didn’t want to have such a tiny little baby in her hands. Still, Blake persisted and Yang cradled her in her arms with a smile on her face.  
  
    “She looks like the world’s biggest burrito.” Yang said quietly as she slowly swayed from side to side, prompting Sun to laugh.  
  
    He sat beside Blake in a chair, holding her hand and watching as Yang held his daughter. Ruby and Weiss were both sitting on the cushioned bench beneath the window sill. The short-haired woman had fallen asleep with her head on Weiss’ shoulder and Weiss was simply looking down at her Scroll. Yang couldn’t blame her sister for knocking out. After all, they’d been at the hospital since two in the morning. Ember wasn’t even expected to be born until a few days later. The surprise was interesting, though, and the baby was already keeping them all on their toes.  
  
    Yang continued to gaze down at the newborn. She’d never seen a newborn faunus before. It was more precious than she ever imagined. The minuscule ears were enough to make Yang want to give them a good pet like she used to do to Blake’s. They twitched every now and then at the various sounds in the hospital room. Yang knew that she had instantly fallen in love with this baby, that she wanted to watch her grow and develop her own little personality. Maybe, if she was lucky, Yang could even take the little faunus under her wing and teach her how to be a kickass brawler.  
  
    Sun’s voice was enough to draw Yang from her state of being mesmerized, “Jeez, Blake… You’re really cold…”  
  
    The blonde looked up at the couple. She only just noticed how pale and exhausted Blake looked. Granted, she’d been up all night, she looked like she wasn’t faring too well. Yang didn’t really know a thing about childbirth other than that it was painful. Maybe Blake was merely spent from the experience. Still, she was concerned. The color in her face was nearly nonexistent and the fact that Sun had noted how cold she was also raised a few red flags. Weiss also seemed to take interest in what was happening, lifting her head to look at Blake.  
  
    “Is everything alright?” Weiss wanted to know.  
  
    “I don’t know. Are you feeling okay, Blake?” Sun asked, pressing his palm gently to her forehead.  
  
    “Just tired,” Blake replied hoarsely, “Really, really tired.”  
  
    Sun got to his feet and looked over at Weiss and Yang, “I’m going to go ask the nurses for more blankets. I’ll be back.”  
  
    Weiss nodded and Yang moved over to the side of the bed where Sun had been sitting. She sat down steadily in the chair and scooted a tad closer to Blake’s side. The feline faunus turned her head sluggishly, looking at Yang with a tired smile. Her gaze briefly moved down to Ember and she let out a content sigh. A shaky hand came to rest on Yang’s forearm, Blake’s fingertips slowly running back and forth along the soft, white blanket that Ember was swaddled in.  
  
    “She’s perfect, Blake. Really.” Yang told her as she watched Ember’s eyelids flutter a bit, “She looks just like you… If you were blonde, of course.”  
  
    A tired and short laugh came from Blake, “Maybe once I get home we can dye my hair blonde.”  
  
    Yang looked up at her with a goofy expression, “I know we have more fun, but I’m not sure you’re ready to be a blonde.”  
  
    Another exhausted chuckle fell from the faunus’ lips and she closed her eyes, “Ouch. So little faith in me.”  
  
    “Not true,” Yang countered, her gaze drifting back down to Ember, who was now stirring.  
  
    Blake’s eyes opened with what looked like a tremendous amount of effort. The raven-haired woman watched as her baby moved ever-so-slightly. Her tiny eyelids parted and revealed her golden-hued eyes, the same as her mother’s. Yang was in disbelief. The baby was the spitting image of Blake. By the time she’d grow up, her and her mother would practically be twins. The blonde smiled at the thought as she pulled the loosened end of the blanket under Ember’s chin. When she looked back up at Blake, her eyes were closed again. She’d never seen the poor woman so exhausted.  
  
    The sound of the door opening behind them drew Yang’s attention over her shoulder. Sun stood in the doorway with a nurse, but no blankets. There was a look on Sun’s face that Yang couldn’t quite pin down. One of her brows lifted in confusion as the nurse arrived at the bedside, looking at Blake’s IV drip before directing her attention to the monitor attached to the clamp on her finger. Sun stood awkwardly in the middle of the room with that strange expression on his face as silence settled over the room.  
  
    “If you all don’t mind,” The nurse finally spoke up, “I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the room. I’m going to be bringing the doctor in.”  
  
    “Can I stay?” Sun asked, his voice suddenly sounding sort of frantic.  
  
    The change in his demeanor put Yang in a state of unease. She got up from the chair and looked down at the infant in her arms before looking back at a panicked Sun Wukong. The nurse seemed to think it over for a moment.  
  
    “You’re the father, yes?” She wanted to know.  
  
    Sun nodded his head and she replied, “Then, yes. The rest of you, please sit in the waiting room.”  
  
    Yang shuffled over to Sun, cautiously handing off Ember to him. The way that he took the child into his arms actually made Yang feel like he was capable of being responsible for once in his life. Their eyes met for a brief minute and Sun gave her a weak smile before looking down at his daughter. Weiss nudged Ruby back to life and she yawned as she sat upright. The short-haired woman looked around the room with an expression that demonstrated her confusion. Weiss leaned over and murmured something into her ear before Ruby nodded and the pair got up from their seats. For some reason, Yang gave Sun a pat on the shoulder before walking out of the room. She took one last look over her shoulder and rested her eyes on Blake. Even when she was completely drained, she still looked gorgeous. Yang’s heart fluttered as she turned away and continued on toward the waiting room with Ruby and Weiss in tow.

* * *

    An obnoxious buzzing sound roused Yang from her deep sleep. The blonde mumbled groggily as she stuck her arm out from underneath the blankets on her bed. Her fingers awkwardly attempted to locate her Scroll and when she finally did, she lifted her head from her pillow and opened her eyes. Squinting from the sudden brightness, she noticed that she had an incoming call from Sun Wukong. She also noted that it was four o’clock in the morning. Confusion swirled in her half-conscious mind as she accepted the call and brought the Scroll to her ear.  
  
    “Mm… Hello?” Her voice was gravelly as she answered.  
  
    “Yang,” Sun’s voice came through the other end of the line with a hint of panic to it, “Yang, I’m so sorry to wake you, but I thought I should let you know—“  
  
    Yang sat upright in bed, “Is everything okay? Is Ember alright? Did something happen?”  
  
    “Ember is fine, but it’s Blake. Yang, I don’t know what to do, they took her to the hospital… They told me she was fine to come home two days ago, I don’t know—“  
  
    By now, the blonde was scrambling out of bed and haphazardly throwing on her clothes, “Sun, I’m on my way. I want you to meet me in the lobby and—“  
  
    “No, Yang… Please, please just come get Ember. I’ll give you the key to the house. I don’t know how long I’m going to be here and I can’t keep her up all night.” Sun told her, his voice sounding incredibly helpless.  
  
    Yang scrambled to put on her jeans, hopping around the floor of her bedroom with the Scroll nestled between her shoulder and her cheek, “God dammit, Sun, can’t you just have Ruby and Weiss watch her? Blake needs me!”  
  
    “You won’t be allowed in, Yang.” Sun warned her, “She’s in the ICU. Please, just come get Ember… Please.”  
  
    The defeat in the faunus’ voice was a reality check for the brawler. Never in all of her years around the man had she ever heard him sound so afraid, so broken down. That in itself was terrifying. What had happened? Was Blake okay? Why in the gods’ names was she in the ICU? Yang was beginning to feel increasingly panicked as she buttoned up her jeans and took in a sharp breath.  
  
    “I’m coming to get Ember. But you better stay on the fucking line with me and tell me what’s going on, Sun.” Yang demanded.  
  
    There was a sigh of relief on Sun’s end of the line, “Thank you, Yang. Thank you so much. I knew I could count on you.”  
  
    “Yeah, yeah.” Yang dismissed his words as she pulled on her bomber jacket and snatched her keys off of the dresser, “Details, Wukong. What the hell happened?”  
  
    “I woke up because Blake collapsed when she got out of bed to use the bathroom. She was unresponsive and so I called an ambulance. I didn’t know what to do so I just brought Ember with me and called her parents.” Sun explained.  
  
    The brawler threw the front door to her apartment open and hurried down to the first floor. She wasn’t even going to be able to see Blake. Part of that terrified her, but part of it forced her to be optimistic. Blake was one of the strongest people she knew. There was no way that some little health issue was going to stand in her way. Not when she had all of these people who loved her that she needed to return to. Yang, as she often did, refused to accept this. Blake was going to be alright. Everything was going to be normal again.

* * *

    Every tick of the clock felt like it came longer than the last. The Wukong household was dark and empty, save for Yang and Ember. Yang sat in the middle of the living room with Ember cradled in her arms. The baby was sleeping soundly and had been since they’d arrived back at the house. Yang almost envied her for having absolutely no idea what was going on. She sort of wished that Sun hadn’t woken her up to deliver the news to her. It started a domino effect. When Yang got to the hospital, she’d had to call up Ruby and Weiss to come pick her up. There was no way she was going to take a newborn for a spin on Bumblebee. Ruby had driven her bike back to the house and Weiss drove she, Yang, and Ember in the car. The couple had offered to stay and keep Yang company, but she turned them down.  
  
    She wanted to be left alone.  
  
    That was an hour and a half ago. Now the sun was starting to peek over the horizon and a dim light began to make itself seen in the sky. Yang’s stomach growled, but she ignored the nuisance. She had no appetite. Her heart was aching too much and the worry was gnawing at her more and more with every passing moment. It was like she had become hyper-aware of how excruciatingly slow time was going by. Normally, it was something that she hardly paid any thought to… But now, it was like every single moment she was hanging onto her hope by a thread. Sun hadn’t contacted her since she picked up Ember, but she wished so badly that he would.  
  
    And then, almost as if on cue, the front door unlocked.  
  
    Yang got to her feet and walked into the entryway of the house. Sun Wukong kicked off his shoes and stared at the floor. Blake was nowhere to be found. The blonde’s pulse began to speed up, her mind racing with every possibility as to why Sun had come home on his own. She wanted to say something, she wanted to ask where Blake was… But there was the massive possibility that she wouldn’t like the answer that she got. Nonetheless, she cleared her throat.  
  
    “How is she doing?” Yang asked in a near-whisper.  
  
    Sun moved his gaze up to meet Yang’s. His eyes were the most ungodly bloodshot red she’d ever seen in her life. There was swelling around his eyes that, if Yang didn’t know any better, would have looked like he’d just had an allergic reaction to something. He extended a pair of shaky arms out toward Yang, his bottom lip trembling.  
  
    “Can I please hold my daughter?” His voice was small and shaky.  
  
    Without another word, Yang handed Ember off to her father. He took the bundled up infant in his hands and looked down at her. Yang could see the tears rolling down his cheeks and onto the blanket that Ember was wrapped in, staining the light blue fabric a darker shade. His body trembled with every breath he took and he began to take uncertain steps toward the staircase. Yang watched as he trudged up to the second floor of their home. She had a pretty decent idea of the news that Sun hadn’t yet shared. Her heart felt like it had dropped into the pit of her stomach. It felt like a lump had formed in her throat and was trying to close up her airway.  
  
    She stood there for a while and tried to collect herself, her hands shaking and her heartbeat roaring in her ears. Yang wasn’t even sure how much time had passed when Sun finally made his way back down the stairs. His face was void of expression now, his tail tucked between his legs. When he reached the bottom step, Yang clenched her fists and looked up at him. Once again, he only looked at the ground as the brawler attempted to burn holes in him with her eyes alone.  
  
    “She’s gone,” Sun choked out, fully aware that Yang was waiting on him to give her an answer.  
  
    In that split second, Yang felt her entire world crumble around her. Every single happy moment with Blake, every minute spent by her side, every combo move they had done together—None of it existed anymore. Blake was gone, and with her went everything else. There wouldn’t be any more happy moments, no more time spent at her side, no more combo moves, no more huntress missions, no more Team RWBY. The blonde took a few steps backward and slumped down against the wall. She took in a sharp breath and tried to fight back the tears, but it was no use. Yang crumbled. She buried her head in her hands and began to sob harder than she ever had before.  
  
    “She’s gone.” Sun murmured again, as if in disbelief, “She’s gone…”  
  
    Yang gritted her teeth. How could he be so stupid in a time like this? He’d already said it once. Blake was gone. Blake was dead. There was no other way to slice it. There was no need to repeat it. She snapped her head up at him, tears still streaming down her face.  
  
    Her voice was far harsher than she intended it to be, but she couldn’t stop herself, “This is all your fucking fault.”  
  
    His eyes widened and he peeled his attention away from the floor. The monkey faunus turned to look at Yang, his blank expression now replaced with one of pain. As weird as it seemed, it felt so good to finally see Sun in the same kind of pain that she had been experiencing all of those years. Her lip curled in anger as she shook her head and glared at him.  
  
    “This is all your fucking fault, Sun.” Yang said again, wondering how he would like to hear something painful on loop, “It’s all your fucking fault that Blake is gone.”  
  
    “My fault?” Sun’s volume was still equally as low as it had been before, his hand feebly coming up to the center of his chest.  
  
    “Yeah, your fucking fault!” Yang barked as she got to her feet.  
  
    Sun took a few steps back, as if frightened by the blonde’s sudden movement. He bumped into the small table in their entryway and looked over his shoulder at it briefly. A picture of Blake wobbled back and forth on the tabletop and Yang only felt herself grow angrier. Every single bit of resentment that she’d harbored for Sun over the years was bubbling over now, ready to explode. Her vision was going red and she couldn’t find it in herself to control her anger.  
  
    “If it weren’t for you, she’d still be here! None of us will ever see Blake again and all of it is your fault, Sun! You took her away from everyone! You… You took her away from me! Are you fucking happy?!” She shouted, her hands clenched into extremely tight fists at her sides.  
  
    Sun shook his head, “It’s not my fault… It’s not, Yang. It’s no one’s fault.”  
  
    “Yes it is!” The brawler cried out, desperate for someone to take the blame, “It’s all your fucking fault…”  
  
    Her voice trailed off, overcome once again by her sobbing. She’d lost Blake for the second time in her life. This time it was for good. She’d never see her again. She never got to say goodbye. She left her behind. She should’ve fought Sun harder to see her one last time. The last image that she had of Blake was the glimpse she’d caught of the faunus woman as she left the hospital on the day of Ember’s birth. She clutched at her stomach, feeling an immense pain as she continued to bawl. The only comfort that came was the sensation of two arms wrapping around her as she buried her face into the shoulder of Sun Wukong and wept alongside him. Together, they huddled on the floor of the entryway and mourned the loss of Blake.  
  
    Things would never be normal again.


	8. VIII.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoa! i finally updated! wow! sorry for the wait, guys. i love u.

    As often as Yang thought about it, it never made any real sense to her. Of all of the people in the world that Blake could have chosen to be with, she picked Sun. At Blake’s funeral service, he’d given a speech. It hadn’t been anything groundbreaking and truthfully, she felt like Blake deserved so much better. There was some guilt that accompanied this feeling. Yang hadn’t even been strong enough to speak at the funeral even though Ghira had asked her if she’d wanted to. She hadn’t initially rejected the offer. In fact, the blonde had spent several nights at her apartment, sitting at her desk and shredding up attempt after attempt at writing out how she felt. Every single time, she found herself going off on the same tangents; The tangents about Blake and the way that she knew her, the way that she loved her.  
  
    The night before the funeral, Yang had called Ghira and apologized what felt like hundreds of times. She told him that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t think of anything to write that wouldn’t cause her to break down in front of everyone. And, as always, Ghira was understanding. He was compassionate and kind. It was clear to Yang where Blake had gotten that side of her from. That same night, she ended up spending a few hours on the phone with Ghira. It was like he’d removed a blockage in Yang’s mind that prevented her from speaking about Blake. The brawler shared every single happy memory, funny story, and inside joke she’d had with her former teammate. Ghira told her a few stories of his own, making Yang laugh with tales of a young and mischievous Blake. She’d felt so much better after the phone call, so much more confident in being able to face the events that would be coming the next day.  
  
    Before she knew it, the funeral had come and gone. It had been every bit as agonizing as she thought it would be. Unlike Blake and Sun’s wedding day, it proved to exceed her expectations in just how painful it would be. This time, she cried without any attempt at holding back. Tears streamed from her eyes for the entirety of the service and by the time she’d gotten back to her apartment, she instantly made her way to the fridge and proceeded to get as drunk as she could. The rest of the night was a total blur. The only thing she could remember was calling Blake’s scroll several times. It still rang, it still sent her to voicemail, and it still allowed her to leave a message if she wanted to. When she’d first heard Blake’s voice on the answering tone, she felt her heart break all over again.  
  
     _“Hello, this is Blake Belladonna. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer your call, but if you leave your name, then I’ll call you back as soon as I get the chance!”_ There would always be a bit of a drawn out pause, like she didn’t quite know how to end it before she said, _“Bye.”_  
  
    Yang left messages upon messages upon messages, each one more incoherent than the last. She stayed awake until the sun had begun to peek through the windows of her apartment. The blonde quickly closed the curtains and collapsed onto the couch, falling asleep almost immediately. She woke to the sound of knocking on her apartment door, coupled with the sensation of her scroll vibrating beneath her back. Yang sat up and ran her fingers through her messy locks before hoisting herself off of the couch. She staggered a bit, trying to correct her balance with a hand on the arm of the sofa. Yang made her way to the door, pulling it open to the sight of an overjoyed Ruby and a disappointed Weiss.  
  
    “Yang!” Ruby said cheerfully as she threw her arms around her sister, nearly throwing her off balance again.  
  
    The sound of her sister’s voice was enough to cause her head to pound. Even the minimal amount of light that came in through the open door felt blinding. Yang had never experienced a hangover this bad. She clenched her teeth together as Weiss shut the door behind her and sniffed at the air. Her lip curled in displeasure and she looked at the living room. Empty bottles littered the coffee table and floor, as well as bottle caps dispersed here and there. Yang knew full-well that she was about to be chewed out by the Schnee woman, but she couldn’t find it in her to care. As Ruby released her from her embrace, she gave Yang a small shake of the shoulder.  
  
    Yang took a step back and blinked hard, “What’re you doing here?”  
  
    “You reek,” Weiss pointed out, “How much did you drink last night?”  
  
    “Can you please just answer my question before we get into this?” Yang sighed, bringing her fingertips to her forehead and closing her eyes.  
  
    “It’s almost six o’clock in the evening, Yang. We invited you to dinner at three. You didn’t reply, so we waited to ask again and never heard anything. Ruby was worried, as was I, and we decided to come make sure you were okay.” Weiss informed her, “And invite you to dinner.”  
  
    Ruby was now scanning the assortment of empty alcohol containers that occupied space in the living room. Her silver eyes were filled with concern and Yang tried to avert her gaze to Weiss. It was much easier to handle Weiss’ sternness than it was to handle Ruby’s worrisomeness. She hated to make her younger sister worry, but it was becoming a frequent trend ever since Blake… Left.  
  
    “Do you wanna come to dinner with me and Weiss?” Ruby asked, her voice noticeably softer.  
  
    Yang shook her head, “I’m fine. I’ll just have some leftovers.”  
  
    Weiss’ brows furrowed and she began to walk into the kitchen as Ruby continued to press her older sister, “Yang, you can’t stay holed up in here forever. We’re all worried about you, you know… I know you’re sad, but—”  
  
    “I said I’m fine. I just need some time.” She argued as she returned to her place on the couch.  
  
    Only then did she pick up her Scroll and begin to look at her notifications. Several missed calls from Ruby and Weiss, a few unread text messages from the aforementioned duo, and even a text from Ghira Belladonna. She opened up the message from Ghira. It was merely a text sent to check in on Yang and make sure that she was holding up okay after the funeral. It had been sent in tandem with the time that she’d cracked open her first drink. She wished she would have seen it. Maybe Ghira would have been able to prevent her from acting like an idiot.  
  
    Weiss’ shrill voice came from the kitchen, causing Yang to recoil, “Yang, you don’t even have anything _edible_ in your fridge. All of this stuff has either gone bad or is something you would put on something else.”  
  
    “I said—”  
  
    “We know what you said,” Ruby cut in, her tone now much firmer, “But, Yang, you really need to take care of yourself. This isn’t going to help you. Staying inside all day and doing nothing but drinking and leaving the house to buy more food and alcohol isn’t going to help.”  
  
    “Noted,” Yang said dismissively, placing her elbows on her knees and burying her aching head in her palms.  
  
    Weiss stormed in from the kitchen, the sound of her heels clacking against Yang’s wooden floor striking a tinge of fear into the brawler’s chest. It seemed that Weiss was very much fed up with Yang’s behavior. As she peered through her fingers, she could see the white-haired woman with her hands on her hips. There was a look of utter dissatisfaction on her face and it appeared she was about to give Yang the what-for.  
  
    “Yang Xiao Long,” Weiss began, “This behavior is unacceptable. I understand that you are an adult woman with a life of your own, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t express our concern about the way you are living your life. Right now, the way that you’re treating your own self is hazardous and counterproductive. You are inhibiting your own healing and making things so much harder for yourself. This is _not_ the Yang that I know. I’m quite certain this also isn’t the Yang that Ruby looks up to. Blake would want you to be getting better, Yang. Blake would want you to treat yourself right.”  
  
    As much as she hated to hear it, Weiss was absolutely right. Her behavior was nothing more than an attempt to get her focused on anything other than Blake’s permanent absence. The drinking only served as a temporary means to fog her thinking and place somewhat of a veil over her eyes to the fact that the only person she’d every truly loved was gone. If Blake were still here, she would probably be just as disappointed as her teammates in Yang’s actions.  
  
    “Y-You’re right…” Yang finally managed to breathe out, “I have to get my shit together. This… This isn’t what Blake would want for me.”  
  
    “So, you’ll come to dinner with us?” Ruby asked hopefully.  
  
    The blonde pushed herself up off of the couch and gave a nod to her younger sister, “Yes. I’ll come to dinner with you.”  
  
    “Oh, thank the gods.” Weiss said, exhaling loudly, “Now, go get showered and cleaned up before we go… And on the way back, we’re getting you groceries!”  
  
    As Yang padded toward the bathroom, she could only chuckle quietly, “Yes, mother.”  
  
    How fortunate was she to have friends and family that cared so much about her? Yang felt a sense of graciousness flowing through her. It was one of the first positive feelings she’d felt in quite some time. Her heart was feeling fuller once again. With the support of Ruby, Weiss, and everyone else in her life… Maybe she would be alright. Maybe she could heal, just maybe.  
  
                                                                                                   

* * *

  
  
    Even though Yang hadn’t made a point of saying it out loud and probably never would, Sun Wukong made a good father. The guy had worked tirelessly to ensure that his daughter was well supported. He worked nights, taking on huntsman missions while Yang hung around the house and made sure that Ember slept soundly. The two weren’t exactly on the best of terms still, but Sun had told Yang that she was the only one he trusted to look after his daughter. That made enough sense to the brawler, given that Neptune was completely inexperienced with children and Ruby and Weiss were almost always off on missions of their own. Yang was happy that they were still upholding a portion of Team RWBY, even if she secretly longed to get back into the line of full-time huntress work. She supposed it was alright the way it was, though. She had enough lien for the time being to take care of herself for quite a while before she needed to hop back into anything. Not only that, but she thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Ember. Countless nights were spent cradling the tiny blonde in her arms and coaxing her to sleep. It had never dawned on Yang just how quickly time had gone by until it was Ember’s third birthday.  
  
    Yang sat on the couch in the Wukong household, watching as Sun helped his daughter unwrap her birthday presents. Ruby and Weiss sat opposite of her, looking on in pure joy as Ember eagerly opened up her birthday gift from them. She pulled off the remainder of the wrapping paper and squealed with glee. Ruby giggled at her reaction and Yang swore that she’d never seen Weiss smile so wide in her life. They had given her a plush of a little black cat with amber colored eyes. The brawler felt a pang of sadness in her chest upon realizing the symbolism that the stuffed animal held. Yang had heard Weiss talking about handcrafting Ember’s birthday present, as she’d recently taken up sewing as a hobby. If she had known that Weiss would go above and beyond to make something like this, then she’d have mentally prepared herself. Yang almost felt tears threatening to well in her eyes as Ember pulled the stuffed cat into her arms and squeezed it to her chest. Sun looked up at Ruby and Weiss, thanking them for the gift. Ember thanked them shortly thereafter. There was a smile on Sun’s face that was equal parts happy and sad. Neptune clapped his hands excitedly as he watched from his position behind the couch that Yang sat on.  
  
    “Okay, open ours next! Open ours next!” The blue-haired man said as he hooked an arm around his girlfriend’s waist and smiled proudly.  
  
    Sun chuckled, “Alright, alright. Grab that one, Emmy.”  
  
    The little blonde faunus reached for the gift bag that was a vivid shade of blue. It was clear just from looking at it that Neptune had selected the bag himself. There was a nice little orange tag on the handle, indicative of his girlfriend’s picking. It was the same hue as her top, contrasting nicely with her white hair. Sun allowed Ember to yank out the tissue paper, which was the same shade of orange as the tag, patterned with little yellow stars. She tossed it aside and peered into the bag before Sun could even remove the gift, prompting laughter from everyone in the living room to laugh. Ember reached a small arm into the bag and pulled out a pair of goggles that looked nearly identical to the ones that Neptune had worn during their time at Beacon Academy. Sun laughed as Ember inspected them with curiosity. Neptune winked at Sun and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
    “I figured you could take Em out on huntsman missions with you. You know, pull her along in a little wagon and fight some Grimm while she looks super cool,” Neptune said.  
  
    “Wow, that sounds like a great idea,” Sun said jokingly, rolling his eyes, “Thank you, Neptune. I appreciate it.”  
  
    “Thank you, Uncle Neptune!” Ember chirped.  
  
    Ember began stretching the elastic band that held the goggles together. Sun asked to see them and took the pair of goggles from her hands upon her offering. With a gentle touch, he placed them on her head in the same fashion that Neptune used to wear them. When Sun pulled his hands away, he began to laugh at just how cute she looked. Yang smiled as Ember began to giggle with him. Her laughter was nothing short of the purest form of joy, it was like music to her ears. The little blonde’s catlike ears wiggled atop her head as she laughed and Ruby began to laugh again. Weiss placed a hand atop her girlfriend’s knee and gave it a bit of a squeeze. It was so nice to have everyone in the Wukong household without any need for sadness or hurt. Yang couldn’t be happier to see that everyone was more or less thriving. She wished that Jaune could have come along, but she’d been told that he was visiting Pyrrha’s parents after some huntsman work in Mistral. On the bright side, though, Ren and Nora had shown up. The pair had gotten her a little toy hammer that Ren had painted flowers all over. That, and Ren had done all of the baking for the occasion. He’d made cupcakes and a nice little birthday cake that Ember had thoroughly enjoyed. Ruby had had just about a dozen cupcakes, too. Yang was sure that she’d be getting an earful from Weiss once she started complaining about a stomach ache.  
  
    “Thank you so much for the gifts, everyone. It really means a lot.” Sun said as he watched Ember reach for the stuffed cat that Weiss had made.  
  
    “Thank you!” Ember said, looking up at everyone.  
  
    She clutched the cat to her chest and Ruby spoke up, “If I would’ve known that Nora was going to give Ember a mini Magnhild, then I would’ve convinced Weiss to let me get her a mini Crescent Rose! Darn it…”  
  
    Sun laughed and Weiss could only roll her eyes while the smile on her face betrayed her. Yang even found herself laughing at her sister’s goofiness. This entire party was really serving as a way to lift Yang’s spirits. Ever since Blake had gone, things had felt very dismal. Yang could only recall a handful of instances since then in which she’d been genuinely happy. In all honesty, most of them were times that she was with Ember… Or they happened _because_ of Ember, just like this. For whatever reason, the little girl had started feeling almost like her own. Yang would be lying if she said that she hadn’t had a number of dreams that involved she and Blake being the parents to Ember. In those fantasies, Sun had never even had a chance with Blake. It had only ever been she and Yang—The way that it was meant to be. Yang felt a bit guilty whenever these dreams came around. Part of it was because she’d actively been trying to make amends with Sun for the past three years or so, the other part of it was because she actually enjoyed those dreams… They were the sort that she never wanted to wake up from.  
  
    It had been exceptionally hard to push herself toward being friendly with Sun. Ever since their discussion in which Yang had placed all of the responsibility for Blake’s death on him, things had been tense. That was saying the least. And that had been years ago, now. The worst part of it all was that Sun was always so forgiving, so the tenseness really only radiated from Yang’s side. His forgiveness somehow made Yang twice as opposed to him… It always had. At first, she’d met him and thought that it was all naivety. She thought that everything went right over his head and that was why he was so quick to forgive others and move on. But the more that Yang saw of him, the more she interacted with him, and the closer she got to him, she came to find that that wasn’t the case. Sun was naturally a forgiving individual. He was the type to take you in when you needed somewhere to stay, no matter how bad your most recent falling out with him was. He was, dare Yang say it, a genuinely good guy. His cockiness and goofy nature were only a fraction of the person that he was. Yang had easily overlooked that fact in light of her feelings toward Blake.  
  
    Now it was different. The brawler hated to acknowledge it, but it seemed that Blake’s absence had served as a means to make her reevaluate her stance on Sun. She hated that losing Blake was what it took for her to actually give the guy a chance. If she would have somehow known that it would be the case, she would have tried so much harder early on to make nice with the monkey faunus. Blake had always said that they were alike… That was true in some respects. Both had a pretty goofy side about them, as well as a cocky one. The only difference, Yang had come to find, was that Sun was willing to forgive. Yang was not. Forgiveness was something that she had to work to make happen. Forgiveness had never come easy to her, and a lot of that was her mother’s fault. But Blake had taught her so much about forgiveness during the time that she’d been in Yang’s life. Blake had helped her learn firsthand how to forgive someone that you love. So, why was it so hard now? She’d learned as much as she could, but it was like she’d reverted back to her old ways. She was trying so hard… She was trying so hard for Blake. It was what she would have wanted.  
  
    The blonde’s forehead slightly creased in frustration. Her mind always felt like it was running ten steps ahead of her. Yang attempted to shake the thoughts from her head as she tethered herself back to the present world. Sun was now sitting on the armchair and shooting the breeze with Neptune while Ember excitedly inspected her birthday gifts. Her little hands were grabbing at the assortment of presents she’d gotten and sizing each one up. As everyone else mingled with one another, Yang moved down to the floor and sat down across from Ember. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she caught sight of the familiar face, moving over to her and instantly settling into her lap. Yang smiled as she wrapped her arms around Ember and gave her a little squeeze. A jubilant laugh floated past her lips and she snatched up the stuffed cat. It seemed that Weiss and Ruby’s gift was a fan favorite. She sat still, watching as Ember played with her cat and tell her an assortment of different things she’d remembered for a good fifteen minutes or so. Eventually, she’d started to lean back against Yang and somewhere along the way, she’d managed to drift off. Yang repositioned the child in her lap, holding her in her arms instead.  
  
    Ember was probably wiped out from the day’s festivities. After playing with so many guests, eating a slice of cake with nothing but her hands, and opening her abundance of gifts, it was no wonder that she was tired. It had been a very busy day for her. Yang got to her feet carefully and moved to settle back down on the couch. With Ember resting across her lap, she cradled her head with one hand and moved the other to comb gently through her hair. Weiss observed from across the living room, a bit of a smile still on her face. When Yang had first taken on the responsibility of looking after Ember, the Ice Queen had been surprised. She’d said something along the lines of not knowing that Yang was actually good with kids. The blonde had a soft spot for them, truth be told, but Ember was the first little kid she’d actually had the opportunity to be around for excessive amounts of time. Now, though, it was practically second nature. Her mechanical fingers had a featherlight touch as they ran through the golden locks before them. Even after a year, Yang was still blown away by how utterly perfect the little girl was. Every single day, she seemed to become more and more of a spitting image of Blake.  
  
    Yang loved this little girl as if she were her own. As far as she was concerned, she pretty much was her own. With the amount of time that she’d spent around the kid, it was no wonder that she’d started to feel such a way. The bond that she shared with Ember was something that she’d never experienced before. She was such a good little kid and she almost seemed too precious to actually exist in such a world. Yang adored her, loved her with every fiber of her being, cherished every single day that she got to spend with her. The only thing she could have asked for was getting to share all of it with Blake. Ember stirred slightly in her lap, rolling onto her side and burying her face into Yang’s opposite arm. She chuckled softly as she began to run her fingers through the back of her hair. Every so often, she would run her thumb along the back of one of Ember’s ears in the same way that Blake had liked. Her ears would twitch slightly, but eventually a low rumble began to come from the little girl’s chest as she slept soundly. Yang often did this to help her fall asleep, as it seemed she liked it just as much as Blake had. Maybe even more. Sun wrapped up his conversation with Neptune, looking over at his sleeping daughter. He got to his feet and clasped his hands together.  
  
    “I think it’s time for bed for Ember. That probably means the party’s gotta come to a close,” Sun told everyone.  
  
    Neptune frowned, “Aw, come on, man! Just ‘cause you’re all dadding it up doesn’t mean you can’t party! Why don’t you come on back to my pad for some drinks? We can invite the rest of Team SSSN over and have a little get together!”  
  
    Sun shook his head and gave a bit of a laugh, “Sorry, Neptune. I’ve gotta get things cleaned up and take care of Ember.”  
  
    “We can help clean up,” Ruby interjected, watching as Weiss nodded in agreement, “And I’m sure that Yang doesn’t mind putting her to bed.”  
  
    “Nah, I shouldn’t. I have a job to do tomorrow and—”  
  
    Neptune cut Sun off, “Dude, you don’t even have to drink a lot! Just one or two beers and then we’ll take you back home, safe and sound. C’mon, Sun! Live a little!”  
  
    “Yeah, Sun,” Yang piped up with a bit of a smile, “We’ll take care of things. Go enjoy yourself. You put together this nice little party, so it’s the least we could do.”  
  
    “Are you sure?” Sun asked reluctantly, “I don’t wanna—”  
  
    “Attaboy!” Neptune said triumphantly, placing a firm hand on Sun’s shoulder, “We’re burnin’ daylight, man! Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”  
  
    Sun looked at Yang with a bit of concern, giving her a nervous smile, “You sure you’re okay with this?”  
  
    “Go on, Sun,” Yang chuckled, “It’s really not a big deal.”  
  
    “Alright, alright… Fine.” Sun rolled his eyes and waved a hand dismissively, “But I’m not going to stay out super late. Got it, Neptune?”  
  
    “Aye, aye, sir!” Neptune said, beginning to usher Sun toward the front door.  
  
    “I’ll text you, Yang!” Sun called on his way out, the sound of the door shutting following suit.  
  
    Nora let out a bit of a sigh as she looked at the time, while Ren began to speak up, “I suppose Nora and I should be getting home, too. We have a big mission this week. We’ll be traveling to Patch.”  
  
    “Say hi to the old man for us!” Ruby said with a grin.  
  
    The red-head snickered, “Can do, Ruby! Maybe he can help us kick some serious Grimm behind!”  
  
    “Knowing Taiyang, I wouldn’t count it out of the realm of possibility,” Weiss said as she got up from the couch and smoothed out her skirt.  
  
    “It was good to see you all. We should have dinner together, soon. I can make us something.” Ren suggested with a smile.  
  
    “That’d be awesome! With cookies for dessert?” Ruby asked, getting up and nudging Ren with an elbow.  
  
    Ren gave a soft laugh, “Of course. With you as our guest, Ruby, I know none of them would go to waste. But you may have to compete with Nora for them.”  
  
    “Oh, you’re on.” Nora said as she pointed a finger at Ruby.  
  
    Laughter came from the group as they began to share their goodbyes. Nora made her way over to Yang and offered her a stretch of a hug on account of Ember sleeping on her lap. Ren did the same, smiling down at Ember before he began to walk with Nora toward the door. Ruby saw them out, closing the door behind them and returning to the living room. The huntress flopped onto the couch and put her feet up, letting out an exhausted groan as she rested her hands on her stomach.  
  
    “What a long day,” She said, “I feel two seconds away from being as unconscious as Ember… Weiss, can I sleep in your lap?”  
  
    Weiss seemed to consider for a moment, folding her hands across her chest, “Maybe after you’ve helped me clean up the kitchen and living room.”  
  
    Ruby quickly sprang off of the couch and made her way toward the kitchen. Yang laughed and Weiss smirked knowingly. She walked over to Yang and let out a small sigh. The white-haired woman placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
    “I know the birthday parties always prompt a lot of thought from you, Yang. But you did really well today. And I know Sun appreciates all of the help you give him,” Weiss told her.  
  
    “Thanks, Weiss,” Yang smiled, “I don’t mind, really… I love Ember. Taking care of her doesn’t even feel much like taking care of her… It’s like I get to spend time with her and just forget about everything else. She’s such a little ball of sunshine.”  
  
    Weiss patted her shoulder, “I’m glad you see it that way. You’ve come really far.”  
  
    With that, she began to stride off toward the kitchen after Ruby. Yang could already hear her younger sister frantically putting away dishes and cleaning up as much as she could. The brawler scooped Ember up into her arms as she began to walk toward the stairs. The little blonde still clutched her stuffed cat to her body as Yang made the trip up to her room. Upon walking in, she was careful not to trip over any of the toys that were scattered on the floor. She would have to remind herself to help Ember clean that up later. For now, though, it was time for bed. She set Ember gently onto the mattress and pulled the covers up over her small frame. Yang looked down at the small faunus as she slept soundly, reaching out to run a hand through her locks again. Then, as she did every night, she said goodnight to her.  
  
    “Goodnight, Em. Sweet dreams,” Yang murmured, “I love you.”


	9. IX.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi enjoy the second to last chapter of this shitfest! :D

     Ruby and Weiss stuck around a bit longer after they’d cleaned up the kitchen and living room. With the house returning to its otherwise spotless state, the remaining members of Team RWBY all lounged around the living room. They shared a few laughs and made idle chatter for a while before Weiss decided it was time to get going. Yang saw them out, opening the door and standing on the front porch as she watched them drive off. After offering a final wave, the blonde made her way back into the Wukong house and shut the door behind her. Silence fell over the house and Yang let out a drawn out sigh to fill the empty air. She was surprised at how quickly her exhaustion caught up to her. The night prior, she’d been up for quite a while as she reflected on the last three years. Now seemed like the perfect time to continue doing so. She had the house to herself, but she didn’t intend to do anything ridiculous. She’d finally started to kick the habit of her mildly excessive drinking and with Ember in the house, she had twice the motivation not to do it. Instead, the brawler began to walk through the Wukong house toward the living room.  
  
     At the far end of the room, there was a bookcasewith two small cabinets at the bottom. A few years back, Sun had showed her that this was where he stored pictures and various photo albums that had been acquired through the years. The Belladonnas had even been so kind as to offer up old scrapbooks and whatnot from Blake’s youth. Yang knew it must have been a herculean task for Kali Belladonna to part with them, but she loved Sun enough to hand them off to him. Yang couldn’t help but wish that she was in his shoes. Being loved by the Belladonnas as if she were one of their own sounded nothing short of spectacular. Ghira was so knowledgeable and patient… And Kali was funny and loving. Yang had always thought that one day they would be her in-laws, but that never turned out to be the case. Sun got everything Yang had ever wanted; The woman, the family, the…  
  
     Yang stopped herself, not wanting to turn into a mess of frustration after such a good day. She crouched down beside the bookshelf and pulled open one of the cabinets. Lilac eyes briefly scanned over the albums until she found the one she was looking for. It was a nice shade of lavender with a plastic casing around it. On the cover, it read ‘Blake Belladonna’ in a very clean and well-written cursive. There was a small handprint just beneath this—One that had been taken from Blake when she was very little. As she did every time she looked at this specific photo album, Yang placed her hand atop the small print. She then opened up the scrapbook and began to look through the photos. There were some classics in here, like the bathtub photos and the ridiculous Halloween costumes that Blake had sported as a child. These ones always brought a smile to Yang’s face and could even make her laugh.  
  
     The more pages she flipped through, the older Blake grew. Her short and wild hair eventually straightened out and became significantly longer. Her once proud and pointed cat ears became concealed by a bow in quite a few images. Yang frowned a bit at this. She’d almost completely forgotten that Blake once hid her faunus roots from them. She liked Blake for who she was, never having cared for whether or not she was a faunus. At first, Weiss had quite a few choice words for her… But as usual, Team RWBY was able to overcome this hiccup and come out even stronger than before. Yang would even go so far as to say that the ordeal strengthened Weiss and Blake’s bond as a whole. She recalled their trip to Atlas, where Weiss didn’t particularly take kindly to the vocabulary that a specific woman had referred to Blake with. Yang had been proud in that moment. It had really showed her just how far Weiss had come. The older they got, the more this continued.  
  
     The more that Yang thought on it, the more she realized that she had Weiss to thank for a lot of things. When Blake had passed away, Yang couldn’t even bring herself to regret the fact that she’d been honest with her about the way she felt. This was only because Weiss had pushed her to do so and Blake had even told her she felt the same. If Weiss hadn’t urged her to confess to Blake, Yang would have gone her entire life without ever telling her how she truly felt. She would have had to go to sleep every night with that fact burning at the back of her mind. Weiss had saved her from a world of regret from simply being bossy. Yang smirked at the thought, chuckling softly to herself. She brushed some hair behind her ear and continued to flip gingerly through the scrapbook. One of her favorite pages was the page that contained images of Blake’s combat training. Nothing was cuter than the young faunus holding Gambol Shroud and attempting to take out fake targets. She sat with the book in her lap, looking at this page for a long time.  
  
     It was funny how humble her beginnings seemed in comparison to how much she’d grown as a huntress. Yang would never forget the sensation of triumph that flowed through her whenever she and Blake pulled off a combo move. Granted, she loved doing combo moves with any of her teammates… But with Blake, they were special. It was one of the few times that she could see Blake light up with genuine excitement about combat. Most of the time, she was stoic and focused on the task at hand. However, there was no denying just how badass their combo moves were, even for Blake. The smile that the faunus would always bear after a successful combo was enough to fuel Yang’s excitement tenfold. After something like that, she felt like she could take on an entire army of Ursa and win. Yang was about to flip to the next page, which featured a photograph of Team RWBY as a whole, when she heard the pitter patter of feet coming down the stairs. The brawler looked over her shoulder and saw Ember at the bottom of the staircase. She clutched one side of the banister with her plush cat under her other arm. Her hair was a bit messy on account of having been asleep, but she looked utterly adorable.  
  
     Yang lifted a brow at her, “Hey, Em. You okay?”  
  
     “Mhm,” Ember said quietly as she walked over to Yang’s side, “I had a bad dream.”  
  
     “Oh, no. I’m sorry, sunshine.” Yang told the child, wrapping an arm around her tiny waist and pulling her into a hug.  
  
     Ember was practically clinging to her as she hugged her back, her ears drawing back, “What are you doing? Don’t you have bedtime?”  
  
     “No, no. I don’t have bedtime.” Yang chuckled, “I’m looking at pictures. Do you want to look with me, then we’ll get back to bed?”  
  
     “Mhm,” Ember nodded.  
  
     “Alright, c’mere,” Yang said as she moved the book and pulled the little faunus into her lap.  
  
     Ember tucked her cat beneath her chin, peering over at the scrapbook that Yang reached for. She pulled it back in front of them and flipped to the page that featured Team RWBY. Ember pointed at the image and let out a small gasp.  
  
     “That’s you! And Aunty Weiss and Aunty Ruby!” Ember told her.  
  
     Yang smiled before pointing to Blake, “Yeah! Do you know who this is?”  
  
     Ember stared for a minute before she answered with uncertainty, “Mama?”  
  
     “Yep, that’s her.” Yang told her, “You guys have the same ears.”  
  
     Yang reached up and scratched at the back of one of Ember’s ears. The child giggled before nuzzling her head against Yang’s touch. A quiet rumbling started up in her chest and she closed her eyes. Yang was glad that the subject hadn’t brought up any questions that she wouldn’t know how to answer, as she supposed that Sun got most of those from Ember. As far as the child knew, Yang was really the only motherly figure in her life. Weiss and Ruby took over caring for her whenever Yang absolutely couldn’t, but for the most part, Yang tended to spend the most time with her. There were a few times when she was younger that she’d addressed Yang as her mom, which Sun later went on to correct. He hadn’t done this to hurt Yang’s feelings, but rather to educate his daughter. This was fine by Yang, though she had to admit that she didn’t mind the error all that much. As Yang sat with the girl in her lap, she couldn’t help but feel content. Any sadness that had crept into her during her downtime was completely washed away. Ember’s energy was always so pure and joyful.  
  
     Yang closed the scrapbook and placed it back in its rightful spot. Ember’s eyes opened and she sniffed quietly. One of her hands balled into a little fist before rubbing at her eyes and Yang decided it was time to go back to bed. She managed to get up with Ember in her arms, allowing the faunus to rest her head against her shoulder as she carried her up the stairs. They returned back to her room and Yang took the time to actually get her into her pajamas before placing her back into bed. She was about to kiss her goodnight when Ember let out a small wince and tapped at her arm.  
  
     “What’s wrong, Em?” She asked.  
  
     “Can you stay? I want snuggles, please.” Ember requested.  
  
     Without so much as a moment’s hesitation, Yang nodded, “Alright, alright.”  
  
     She climbed into the twin sized bed and felt it creak beneath her. It was surprisingly comfortable, despite its cramped size. Ember eagerly scooted up against her and wiggled her ears a bit. Yang nearly laughed at the child’s anticipation before reaching out to pet her ears gently. Ember rested her head against Yang’s chest and began to relax, her breaths gradually becoming slower and steadier. The purring hardly stopped as Yang continued to pet her head and ears. Even after Ember had drifted off to sleep, Yang could still hear what sounded like a very tiny boat motor whirring within her chest. She eventually found herself growing sleepy and drifted off into a much needed slumber.  
                                                                              

* * *

           
     “Would anyone like dessert?” The waiter asked as he stood beside the table, a smile on his face.  
  
     “Me, please!” Ember’s hand shot up as she nodded her head.  
  
     Nora also raised her hand, “Me too, please!”  
  
     Ren let out a laugh as he watched his wife behave so goofily. Yang grinned as she reached for her glass, taking a drink of her water and then drumming her finger against the side. To Yang’s left, Ruby nodded and agreed that she would have dessert. This prompted Weiss to roll her eyes as she folded her arms. As per usual, her argument was that Ruby would be up all night long. Yang couldn’t help but laugh, now. Weiss and Ruby had this habit of arguing like an old married couple. The only difference was that Weiss was the only old person of the two and Ruby had boundless energy. So, Yang supposed that they weren’t necessarily identical to an old married couple. Or, at least, not yet. Tonight was the Ice Queen’s birthday, which meant dinner at a very nice restaurant. Ruby had told Yang that she wanted this birthday to be especially memorable. As such, she went out and bought a pricey engagement ring. Yang and Jaune were the only ones who were in on the proposal, so Yang could hardly wait to see everyone else’s reactions.  
  
     Ember’s would be the most exciting. Now that she was seven years old, she was going through a phase where she was mildly obsessed with fairy tales and whatnot. Every princess book and movie was her fascination. She’d kept on mentioning her plans to become a romance novel author when she was older—But only after she’d become a wildly famous huntress and found the love of her life. This specific criteria remained consistent for the past year and always made Yang smile and nod. She wanted Ember to live out her own fairy tale, but she could hardly wait to see how she’d react to a real scenario unfolding before her. Yang wondered if perhaps she was setting her expectations a bit too high, though. What if Weiss didn’t react all that well? Or what if Ruby chickened out? The entire course of dinner, she and her sister had been sharing glances with each other. Yang was worried that the nerves would overtake her.  
  
     Sure enough, just as dessert arrived and everyone began to dig in, Ruby didn’t. Weiss almost looked confused as she turned to her girlfriend, lifting a brow inquisitively. Ruby got to her feet and walked around to the other side of the seat that Weiss was sitting in. The white-haired girl watched Ruby with the utmost of curiosity as she took one of her hands. Ember practically shot upright in her seat, causing Sun to laugh casually as it dawned on her what was happening. Ruby got onto one knee and pulled the ring box out of her pocket, popping it open for Weiss to see. Even the former heiress herself was bewildered at the beauty of the ring, bringing a hand to her mouth as she looked at it in awe. Ruby’s smile nearly spanned from ear to ear as she asked Weiss to marry her. By now, everyone in the restaurant was looking on at the spectacle. When Weiss said yes, there was a bout of applause and whistles that filled the establishment. Weiss threw her arms around Ruby and dragged her into a fairly passionate kiss.  
  
     Sun let out another noisy whistle as Ember clapped her hands with unmatched enthusiasm. Photos were snapped left and right before the couple pulled away, but even then there was the occasional flash of a camera. Ruby and Weiss shared a lengthy embrace and some hushed words. Yang swore she could see the hint of tears trailing down Weiss’ cheeks as Ruby held her close. When their length hug was over, Ruby returned to her seat and instantly began to dig into her dessert. Weiss stood up from her chair and gave everyone a generous thank you. There were smiles all around and if Yang was being quite honest, she could hardly wait for the wedding. Love was always exciting, even if it wasn’t one’s own.


	10. X.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for supporting and appreciating this story throughout its entirety. i hope you enjoy the final chapter of this piece of work.

     After a long bout of thinking, Yang pushed herself up on her elbows. Her breaths felt awkward and uneven. Were her eyes watering? The blonde wasn’t sure what had gotten into her. Things hadn’t been this hard to think on in a long time. Yang wondered if perhaps the fact that she’d just been to a wedding had drudged up the same emotions she’d felt at Blake and Sun’s wedding all those years ago. It had certainly brought the thoughts of it to Yang’s mind. The lilac-eyed woman got out of bed and looked to the door of the hotel room. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her to run all the way home, where she could revert to her old habits and drown all of this in some alcohol and heavy sleep. Her palms began to sweat as she turned and headed for the balcony of the hotel room. Making sure to be as quiet as she possibly could, Yang turned the handle on the door and hurried outside. She kept the door cracked behind her as she gripped at the railing and stared down at the view below. There were hardly any cars on the street and there was a sizable park across the way. The moon looked especially beautiful, illuminating even the darkest of street corners. Yang stared up at it as she white-knuckled the railing, beginning to cry.  
  
     It had been years since Blake had gone. Why did it never hurt any less? It never hurt any less than the day that Yang heard the news. It was the most painful loss she had ever experienced in her life—And Yang knew loss. The huntress released her grip on the bars of the balcony and placed her elbows on the railing. She rested her head on her forearms and let out a choked sob. She looked down at her feet and closed her eyes. Things hadn’t been the same since Blake left… Hell, things hadn’t been the same since Blake started dating Sun. Yang hated that she would never be able to let those things go. They made her feel petty… They made her feel pathetic. She was a grown woman who was still pining over the person that she loved. Blake wouldn’t have wanted her to feel this way… Yang didn’t want to feel this way. She bit down on her bottom lip and stifled another whimper before standing upright. What was wrong with her? She practically loved Sun like a brother, now. And still, she was unable to get over what had happened all of those years ago. Anguish flooded her being as tears streamed her face and dotted the floor beneath her.  
  
     Life was hardly fair. Yang had been born to a mother who wanted nothing to do with her. She’d then been raised by Summer Rose, who she eventually lost. That woman, despite not being her birth mother, was her mom. She could still remember every ounce of pain that she felt when Summer passed away. Somehow, after all of the years, the pain was dulled. Yang hoped that eventually the same would come of the pain she experienced over the loss of Blake. When she thought of her mom, she remembered all of the good memories. She thought of the laughter, the smiles, the goofy antics. Yang only wanted the same when she reminisced on Blake. It still ached, it still hit like a ton of bricks every time she was reminded of her. The brawler couldn’t understand why so many people she loved had been taken from her. Her body shook as she drank in a sharp breath, running her hands through her hair and grabbing handfuls of it. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but she resisted the urge. As she lifted her head to look up at the sky, she heard the sound of someone softly clearing their throat.  
  
     Instantly, Yang had turned around and gripped at the railing behind her. Much to her relief, it was Sun that had come out onto the balcony. If Ember would have come out and seen her like this, Yang didn’t know what she’d have done. The last person who needed to see her in this state was Ember. Yang felt bad enough that Sun had to be the one to find her. After exchanging a short silence with him, she turned around and looked out at the park across the street once more. Sun gently clicked the door shut behind him before stepping over to Yang’s side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed her gently. This was hardly enough, though. Yang bit her bottom lip and turned to face him, looking up at him with eyes full of anguish. He pulled her in to his chest, snaking his other arm around her and beginning to rub her back as she cried again. A while passed like this; The quiet of the night surrounded them as Sun did what he could to console Yang.  
  
     After she had finally collected herself a decent amount, she stepped away and took a deep breath. Sun watched her face, as if making sure that she was going to be okay, before positioning himself at the edge of the railing beside her. Running his fingers over the rough finish on the bars, the faunus turned to Yang and hesitated for a moment. Yang could understand his cautiousness. Whenever she was emotional, Sun occasionally got the brunt of things. The day that Blake had died was the worst case of this. Yang still hadn’t forgiven herself for what she said to him. She wished she could better control the things she said when she got angry, but the blonde had always had something of a temper. That was hardly an excuse, though she sometimes found herself trying to use it as a means of justifying her verbal outbursts.  
  
     “Do you want to talk about it?” Sun asked quietly.  
  
     Yang chewed at the inside of her cheek before shrugging her shoulders, “I don’t know what there is to talk about, Sun… It feels pointless to talk about it.”  
  
     “That’s not true, Yang. You know that.” He replied, “If it’s still eating you up like this, I think we should talk about it.”  
  
     This was it. Sun was pushing her to a place where she had begun to feel like her feelings needed to be spoken about. Sure, Yang had confided in Weiss a multitude of times, but not to the degree that she wanted to. Weiss only knew what Yang had told her. She knew that Yang loved her, she knew that their night together had been the first and last, and she knew that Yang was heartbroken over what had happened. Weiss didn’t know that Blake was the first and only person Yang had ever fallen in love with, she didn’t know that Blake’s smile was enough to melt all of her anxieties away, she didn’t know that Blake was the reason that she had stuck it out after she lost her arm… Weiss didn’t know _how_ Yang had loved Blake, or how intensely she had, or even how she still did. No one did. And here was Sun, unknowingly poking and prodding the sleeping bear that would unleash these feelings. Yang’s bottom lip trembled as she turned to look at him.  
  
     “I loved her, Sun. I loved her so much.” Yang started as she felt more tears beginning to nip at her eyes, “I still do. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about her or how things would be or how things could have been…”  
  
     Sun was silent for a moment, only speaking up to ask, “Could’ve been?”  
  
     “I had every intent of being with Blake. All through our time at Beacon, I was… Smitten. I could hardly work up the courage to confess it to her. I had to bug Weiss over and over again until she pushed me to do it—And even then it didn’t matter. We kissed and… Spent the night together… She didn’t remember any of it.” She recounted, wiping at her eyes as she rested her elbows on the rail before her.  
  
     “It was impossible not to love Blake,” He said, a sad smile playing at his lips, “She was amazing.”  
  
     “She was so amazing. And I ruined it. I never said anything because I was so sure that she wanted to be with me. And then you came along and she didn’t look at me the same. I could see it changing right in front of me and was still too afraid to say something. I was too afraid of scaring her away. I… I let her go. I’ll never forgive myself for it.” Yang admitted.  
  
     Sun shook his head, “You shouldn’t carry that. She loved you, Yang.”  
  
     “Yes, she loved me. But not the way I loved her,” She corrected him, her voice demonstrating her emotional strain.  
  
     “No, Yang,” Sun let out a small sigh, “She loved you. She loved you every bit as much as you loved her… I thought you knew, I—I never said anything because I thought…”  
  
     Yang stared at him, utterly confused. It was unlike the faunus to stumble over his words and have a difficult time articulating his thoughts. This was clearly something that he’d had stored away in his mind for years. It caused his eyebrows to knit together, his forehead to crease, and his lips to twitch. It looked like he felt… Guilty? The brawler couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she wanted him to speak up. The blonde reached out and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. After he collected his thoughts, Sun slowly nodded.  
  
     “Before we got married, Blake came to me. She was… All over the place, really. She told me that she was worried about the wedding because she still loved you. I… It hurt. A lot. Blake had never been so forward with me. I told her that she could have all of the space she needed, that she could call off the wedding if she needed to, that I would be there for her…” Tears were starting to form in Sun’s own eyes, but he was trying to seem unfazed, “She came to me a month later. It had been one of the longest months of my life. But she told me that she had done some thinking and that she was sorry… She told me that she loved me and you, Yang… Just in very different ways. I didn’t even care anymore, I was just so happy to have her back. And still, a part of me wanted to hate you. It took me a long time to let go of what had happened. But knowing that you’ve carried this for so long, I wish I would have said something sooner. I’m sorry, Yang.”  
  
     This was all news to her. She’d never known any of this information, not even when she had been spending copious amounts of time with Blake during her pregnancy. Wasn’t that something that Blake should have shared with her? Her mind was a jumbled mess as she just continued to stare at Sun. Tears had started to roll down Sun’s face, though he was doing everything in his power to smile. Yang gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.  
  
     “It’s not your fault, Sun. I’ve dealt with those feelings, too.” She said softly.  
  
     “She always wanted you to be a part of this family. I think she wanted you to be as close to Ember as possible. She wanted her to grow up with you as someone she could rely on. I’m really glad that you’ve stuck around to help with her, Yang… I couldn’t have done it on my own.” Sun confessed.  
  
     Yang pulled him into a bear hug as she continued to cry into his shoulder, “Thank you for letting me be part of your family… I love Ember so much… I love you so much.”  
  
     Sun gave a sudden laugh as he squeezed Yang, “I’ve been waiting to hear those words for years, Yang. I knew you’d come around.”  
  
     “Don’t make me regret it.” Yang teased as she rolled her eyes.  
  
     They embraced one another until their tears had stopped. Everything was quiet again and Yang felt like a massive weight had been lifted off of her chest. So much of the burden that she’d harbored for years was now gone. To think that it had been this easy all along would have been infuriating if Yang wasn’t so grateful for the relief. She felt lighter than ever as she and Sun stepped back from one another. He gave her a genuine smile as he wiped at the remainder of tears on his cheeks.  
  
     “You going to be okay?” He asked.  
  
     “I think I’m a lot better now. Thank you, Sun.” Yang said, “Let’s get some sleep.”  
  
     Sun nodded and slowly pushed the door to the room open. When they reentered, Ember was sleeping just as soundly as when they had left. Sun got back into his spot and Yang began to creep over to her bed. The blonde was just about to settle onto her own mattress when she felt Sun tap the back of her arm. She turned around to see him gesturing to the opposite side of the bed he was sharing with Ember. Even though the space was relatively small, Yang couldn’t resist the offer to be closer to the ones she loved. She moved around to the other side of the bed and slowly eased herself beside Ember, reaching out to gently comb her fingers through her tresses. Yang smiled sleepily and rested her head against the pillow. This would be the first good night’s sleep she’d had in eight years.


End file.
